THE 
WALLS    OF   CONSTANTINOPLE 


THE    WALLS   OF 
CONSTANTINOPLE 


BY 


CAPTAIN    B.   GRANVILLE    BAKER 


|cmMILNEj 


LONDON:    JOHN    MILNE 
1910 


^fisTonrt 


C-^ 


PREFACE 

Romance  and  the  history  of  walled  cities  are  in- 
separable. Who  has  not  felt  this  to  be  so  at  the  sight 
of  hoary  ruins  lichen-clad  and  ivy-mantled,  that  proudly 
rear  their  battered  crests  despite  the  ravages  of  time 
and  man's  destructive  instincts.  It  is  within  walled 
cities  that  the  life  of  civilized  man  began :  the  walls 
guarded  him  against  barbarian  foes,  behind  their 
shelter  he  found  the  security  necessary  to  his  cultural 
development,  in  their  defence  he  showed  his  finest 
qualities.  And  such  a  city — and  such  a  history  is  that 
of  Ancient  Byzantium,  the  City  of  Constantine,  the 
Castle  of  Caesar. 

What  wonder  then  that  man  should  endeavour  to 
express  by  pen  and  pencil  his  sense  of  the  greatness 
and  beauty,  the  Romance  of  a  Walled  City  such  as 
Constantinople.  The  more  so  that  a  movement  is  on 
foot  to  remove  these  ancient  landmarks  of  the  history 
of  Europe  and  Asia. 

True  there  are  other  works  on  this  same  subject, 

works  by  men  deeply  learned   in  the  history  of  this 

vii 


2iJ5334 


Preface 

fair  city,  works  that  bid  fair  to  outlive  the  city  walls  if 
the  fell  intent  of  destroying  them  is  carried  into  execu- 
tion, and  from  these  men  and  their  works  I  derived 
inspiration  and  information,  and  so  wish  to  chronicle 
my  gratitude  to  them — Sir  Edwin  Pears  and  Professor 
van  Millingen  of  Robert  College,  Constantinople. 
There  are  many  others  too  in  Constantinople  to 
whom  my  thanks  are  due — His  Majesty's  Vice- 
Consul,  my  host,  his  colleagues,  now  my  friends, 
and  many  others  too  numerous  to  mention.  They 
all  have  helped  me  in  this  work,  and  I  am  grateful  for 
the  opportunity  offered  me  of  here  recording  my 
thankfulness  for  their  kind  offices. 

B.  Granville  Baker. 

Note. — As  I  have  taken  the  historical  events 
recorded  in  this  book  not  in  chronological  order,  but 
as  they  occurred  to  me  on  a  tour  round  the  walls  of 
Constantinople,  I  have  appended  a  brief  chronological 
table,  for  the  guidance  of  my  readers  and  for  the 
elucidation  of  this  work. 


vin 


CONTENTS 

CHAP.  PAGB 

I      CONSTANTINOPLE 1 3 

II      THE   APPROACH   TO   THE   CITY   BY  THE   BOSPHORUS             .  28 

III       SERAGLIO    POINT 54 

IV     SERAGLIO  POINT  {continued) 84 

V      THE   WALLS    BY   THE   SEA   OF    MARMORA             .            .            .  lOI 

VI      THE   GOLDEN    GATE .  \2\ 

VII     THE  GOLDEN  GATE  {continued)      .         .         .         .        .147 

VIII      THE     WALLS     OF     THEODOSIUS     TO     THE     GATE     OF     ST. 

ROMANUS 172 

IX      THE    VALLEY   OF    THE   LYCUS 1 98 

X      FROM   THE    GATE    OF    EDIRNE    TO    THE    GOLDEN    HORN.  225 

ENVOI 252 

APPENDIX 255 


IX 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


CONSTANTINOPLE  FROM  THE  SEA  OF  MARMORA    .  Frontispiece 

Facing  page 
GENOESE    CASTLE    AT    ENTRANCE    TO    BOSPHORUS    FROM    THE 

BLACK   SEA        

ANATOLI    HISSAR,    OR   THE   CASTLE   OF   ASIA      . 
ROUMELI    HISSAR,    OR   THE   CASTLE   OF   EUROPE 
THE    TOWER   OF   GALATA  .... 

THE   LANDWARD   WALLS   OF   THE   SERAGLIO       . 
THE   PALACE   OF   HORMISDAS,    OR   JUSTINIAN     . 

THE   SEA-WALL 

THE   MARBLE   TOWER        .  .  .  . 


POSTERN  WITH  INSCRIPTIONS  OF  BASIL  II    AND  CONSTANTINE  IX       I  24 


THE   GOLDEN   GATE   FROM    SOUTH-WEST    .  .  .  . 

THE   APPROACH   TO   THE   GOLDEN    GATE   FROM    NORTH-WEST 

YEDI    KOULE   KAPOUSSI,    OR   GATE   OF   THE   SEVEN    TOWERS 

PART   OF   TURKISH    FORTRESS   OF   YEDI    KOULE 

THEODOSIAN   WALL   AND   APPROACH    TO    BELGRADE    KAPOUSSI 
SECOND    MILITARY   STATE 


THEODOSIAN   WALL — A    BROKEN   TOWER,    OUTSIDE    . 
THEODOSIAN   WALL — A    BROKEN   TOWER,    INSIDE 
GATE   OF   RHEGIUM,    OR    YEDI    MEVLEVI    HANEH 
TOP   KAPOUSSI,    GATE   OF   ST.    ROM  ANUS    . 
THIRD    MILITARY   GATE 


31 

39 
43 
51 
58 

lOI 

117 
122 


126 
146 
170 
172 

183 
188 
190 

193 
194 
196 


List  of  Illustrations 


THE   VALLEY   OF   THE   LYCUS,    LOOKING   NORTH 

THE   VALLEY   OF   THE   LYCUS    FROM    INSIDE   THE   WALLS 


Facing  page 
199 


THE     VALLEY     OF     THE     LYCUS,     SHOWING    WHERE    THE     LAST 
EMPEROR    FELL 


THE   PALACE   OF   THE   PORPHYROGENITUS   FROM    THE   FOSSE 

THE   PALACE   OF   THE    PORPHYROGENITUS     FROM    WITHIN    THE 
WALLS 


TOWER   OF    MANUEL   COMNENUS         .... 
GATE   OF   THE    BOOTMAKERS,    OR    THE   CROOKED   GATE 
WALL   OF    PAL/EOLOGIAN    REPAIR       .... 
TOWERS   OF    ISAAC   ANGELUS    AND   ANEMAS 
OLD    HOUSE    IN    THE    PHANAR 


201 

224 

2^6 

228 

232 

241 

244 

246 

249 


XI 


THE 
WALLS    OF    CONSTANTINOPLE 


CHAPTER    I 

CONSTANTINOPLE 

Byzas  the  seafarer  stood  in  the  sacred  copse,  the 
copse  of  fir-trees  dedicated  to  his  father  Poseidon. 
His  soul  was  filled  with  awe,  for  he  was  listening  for 
an  answer  to  his  prayer  ;  he  had  prayed  for  help  and 
guidance  in  his  next  venture  out  upon  the  seas,  and 
had  brought  rich  gifts  with  him. 

Hush !  the  faint  murmuring  of  the  evening  breeze — 
a  sound — a  whisper  only — it  is  the  voice  of  the  Oracle  : 
•*  Build  your  city  opposite  the  City  of  the  Blind,  for 
there  you  shall  prosper."  The  voice  died  away  in  the 
stillness  of  evening.  Gently,  with  reverence,  Byzas 
placed  his  offerings  upon  the  ground,  turned  and  went 
his  way  without  looking  behind  him. 

Before  the  dawn  arose,  Byzas  had  joined  his 
comrades.  "To  sea,"  he  cried,  *'for  the  Oracle  has 
spoken  thus  :  '  Go  to  the  Country  of  the  BHnd — there 

13 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

build  you  a  city  opposite  their  own — you  shall 
prosper.'  "  Silently  the  stout  vessel  that  carried  Byzas 
and  his  fortunes  stood  out  to  sea  as  the  rosy  dawn 
touched  the  high  peaks  of  the  Peloponnese  and  tinted 
with  pale  carmine  and  gold  the  unruffled  water  of  the 
-^gean.  And  ever  bearing  to  the  north,  to  that 
unknown  region,  with  Byzas  at  the  helm,  the  ship  held 
on.  They  sounded  here  and  there,  and  asked  of  those 
they  met,  "  Is  this  the  Country  of  the  Blind  ?  "  Their 
question  met  with  little  sympathy ;  the  answers  are 
nowhere  recorded.  After  many  vain  inquiries  the  ad- 
venturous crew  drew  out  into  the  Sea  of  Marmora. 
Towards  evening  they  sighted  land. 

No  doubt  Byzas  was  drawn  towards  the  Prince's 
Islands  'twixt  him  and  Asia  as  he  sailed  northward  up 
the  quiet  inland  sea.  But  sternly  he  resisted  the 
temptation  of  these  lovely  isles,  and  held  on  his  way. 
His  long  craft  pulled  nearer  in  towards  the  narrow 
mouth,  and  through  the  twilight  a  great  city  loomed 
up  before  him  on  his  right — the  city  of  Chalcedon, 
better  known  by  its  modern  name  of  Kadekeuy.  Now 
in  the  days  of  Byzas  suspicious-looking  craft  of  no 
ostensible  occupation  were  not  encouraged,  piracy  was 
too  common  and,  indeed,  considered  one  of  the  few 
occupations  fit  for  a  gentleman — night  was  falling  ;  so 
we  imagine  Byzas  putting  in  to  the  spit  of  land  that 

H 


Constantinople 

projects  boldly  into  the  sea  as  if  to  meet  the  Asiatic 
shore  and  offer  stepping-stones  for  any  migrant  Titan 
that  might  pass  that  way.  Rounding  the  point,  he  saw 
before  him  a  broad  waterway  winding  inland  till  lost  to 
sight  behind  the  tree-clad  heights  to  northward.  So 
Byzas  steered  towards  this  fairway,  holding  to  the 
southern  bank,  and  then,  some  little  distance  from  the 
point,  his  comrades  lowered  the  broad  sails,  dropped 
anchor  and  awaited  the  light  of  day.  Only  when  it 
dawned  were  they  conscious  that  they  had  reached  their 
goal,  the  country  mentioned  by  the  whispering  Oracle. 

A  fair  sight  that,  by  the  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun  : 
the  east  aglow  with  many  colours,  repeated  in  the 
waters  of  the  winding  bay,  henceforth  to  be  known  as 
the  Golden  Horn ;  first  touches  of  pink  in  the  small 
clouds  over  the  rose-tipped  mountain  of  the  East ; 
and,  swimming  in  a  silvery  haze,  the  islands  they  had 
passed. 

Then  the  keenest  and  most  fleet-footed  of  the  crew 
betook  themselves  ashore.  They  searched  diligently 
everywhere,  and  brought  back  word  that  all  day  long 
never  a  man  had  they  seen  of  whom  they  could 
inquire,  "Is  this  the  Country  of  the  Blind  ? "  So 
Byzas  spoke :  **  This  is  the  Country  of  the  Blind,  for 
those  are  blind  who  could  pass  by  this  most  favoured 
spot,  and  build  their  city  on  the  other  side." 

15 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

So  Byzas  settled  here  and  built  a  city  and  prospered 
— the  Oracle  had  spoken  truly. 

All  this  happened  many  centuries  ago,  when  the 
world,  at  least  the  Western  World  was  young,  and 
Rome — Imperial  Rome,  the  eternal  city,  was  still 
wrapped  in  the  legendary  mysteries  of  her  birth. 

And  so  arose  Constantinople, — a  city  known  by 
many  names,  the  one  familiar  to  the  majority  of  those 
of  Western  race  is  that  of  the  City  of  Constantine, 
Constantinople,  familiar  but  with  subconscious  charm 
of  strange  remoteness  :  the  Slavs  still  talk  of  Tsarigrad, 
the  Castle  of  Caesar ;  to  the  Turk  this  is  Stamboul,  a 
corruption  of  slg  ttjv  iro'kiv — the  phrase  they  must  have 
so  often  heard  on  the  lips  of  the  vanquished  Greeks, 
but  through  all  ages  this  is  Byzantium  in  romance.  The 
first  thing  a  man  does  when  he  comes  into  any  kind  of 
property,  is  to  safeguard  it  somehow.  If  this  property 
be  land,  however  acquired,  the  natural  thing  is  to  build 
a  wall  around  it,  and  this  no  doubt  Byzas  did  too.  But 
of  his  walls  nothing  is  left — the  city  grew  and  prospered, 
the  Oracle  said  it  would,  so  the  matter  was  in  a  sense 
"^  \  already  settled,  and  new  walls  were  thrown  out  further 
until  Imperial  Byzantium,  like  Imperial  Rome,  stood 
on  seven  hills. 

Behind  these  walls  a  busy  populace  increased  the 
wealth  and  importance  of  the  place,  and  others  who 

i6 


Constantinople 

wanted  wealth  and  importance  flocked  in  here  for  it. 
Byzant  became  a  thoroughfare  to  all  those  of  the  West 
who  did  business  with  the  East,  but  was  chary  of  being 
too  much  of  a  thoroughfare  for  those  who  came  from  the 
East.  For  these  latter  had  the  habit  of  coming  in 
swarms  and  armed,  otherwise  empty-handed,  but  with 
a  sincere  wish  not  to  return  in  that  condition.  Against 
such  as  these  the  walls  were  built,  strong  and  cunningly 
planned.  And  so  ancient  Byzant  grew  into  the  mart 
for  those  who  traded  from  the  West  along  the  coasts 
of  the  Mediterranean,  away  through  Dardanelles  and 
Bosphorus  to  the  Black  Sea,  to  Trebizond,  where  the 
old  Greek  tongue  yet  lingers  in  its  purest  form,  the 
Crimea — even  distant  Persia.  So  also  Byzant  became 
the  bulwark  that  met,  and  broke,  successive  storm- 
waves  of  Asiatic  attack,  until  in  due  season  a  strong 
Asiatic  race  forced  its  way  in,  and  has  stayed  there,  and 
still  holds  its  hard-won  stronghold. 

It  was  this  position  that  made  Constantine,  the 
man  of  genius,  transfer  the  capital  of  his  empire  from 
Rome  to  Byzant,  after  defeating  his  rival  Licinius  at 
Chrysopolis  (Scutari)  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Golden 
Horn,  and  henceforth  to  make  the  city  known  as  his — 
Constantinople,  the  Castle  of  Caesar.  This  alone 
would  justify  his  claim  to  be  called  Great,  and,  as  Dean 
Stanley  remarked,  of  all  the  events  of  Constantine's 
B  17 


c/ 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

life,  this  choice  is  the  most  convincing  and  enduring 
proof  of  his  real  genius. 

It  is  to  be  doubted  whether  any  city  walls  have 
such  a  stirring  history  to  relate  as  those  of  Constanti- 
nople, except  perhaps  the  walls  of  Rome.  Of  former, 
older  fortifications  traces  have  been  found,  and  they 
reach  back  to  very  ancient  history. 

Echoes  come  to  us  from  those  dim  ages  of  history, 
shadowy  forms  of  warriors,  seafarers,  priests  and  sages 
pass  by  in  pageant,  with  here  and  there  the  bearer  of 
some  great  name  in  bolder  outline.  Somebody  has 
said  that  the  East  is  noteworthy  as  the  grave  of 
monarchs  and  reputations.  Of  no  spot  is  this  truer 
than  it  is  of  Stamboul. 

Chroseos,  king  of  Persia,  emerges  from  the  gloom, 
and  with  him  hordes  of  warriors  trained  to  ride,  to 
shoot,  to  speak  the  truth.  He  is  seen  for  a  brief 
space  encamped  before  the  walls  to  bring  its  citizens 
to  submission  :  he  fades  away  with  his  phantom  host. 
Then  comes  one  better  known,  and  he  stands  out  in 
bold  relief,  the  light  of  history  gives  him  more  definite 
outline, — Pausanias.  He  drove  the  Persians  from  the 
city  after  defeating  them  in  the  field.  His  handiwork, 
'tis  said,  can  still  be  traced  in  some  gigantic  blocks  that 
went  to  fortify  yet  more  the  walls  that  Byzas  built. 
He  was  recalled  in  disgrace  :  well  for  him  had  he  never 

i8 


Constantinople 

come.  It  needed  but  a  little  of  the  splendour  and 
luxury  of  an  oriental  court  to  corrode  the  old  iron  of 
the  Spartan  character.  For  him  the  watery  soup  and 
black  bread  of  the  Eurotos  valley  could  never  have 
quite  the  same  flavour  afterwards.  He  left  the  city  a 
discredited  politician  of  more  than  doubtful  loyalty  to 
the  land  that  reared  him  and  the  great  confederacy 
which  had  set  him  at  its  head. 

Then  follows  an  everchanging  array  of  warriors  of 
many  nations,  many  races.  Seven  times  did  the  fierce 
sons  of  Arabia,  fired  by  their  new-found  faith,  lay 
siege  to  old  Byzantium,  and  seven  times  their  impetu- 
ous valour  broke  against  these  walls  in  vain.  Albari, 
Bulgarians,  Sclavi,  Russians,  vainly  spent  their  strength 
in  trying  to  force  an  entrance  into  the  Castle  of  the 
Caesars.  Great  bloodshed  or  great  treachery  could 
alone  serve  as  the  key  to  what  latter-day  poets  call 
"the  Gate  of  Happiness."  Crusaders  too,  men  of  the 
same  faith,  besieged  the  city,  and  after  one  short  period 
of  success,  they  too  vanished,  to  leave  the  imperial 
city  standing  as  before  ;  to  leave  her,  perhaps,  a  little 
wickeder,  perhaps  a  little  more  luxurious,  but  still  as 
perennial  and  unchanging  as  she  is  to-day. 

Then  came  another,  stronger  race  out  of  the  East. 
They  laid  their  plans  cunningly  and  boldly  executed 
them,  they  hovered  for  years  over  the  city  and  around 

B   2  19 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

it,  and  for  years  their  efforts  proved  abortive,  until  the 
time  had  come  when  this  bulwark  of  Europe,  that  had 
for  centuries  hurled  back  the  waves  of  warriors  that 
dashed  themselves  against  its  ramparts,  had  fulfilled  its 
mission.  Vain  it  was  to  cry  for  help  to  the  Christ 
whom  they  had  persistently  dishonoured,  and  to  whom 
their  very  existence,  corrupt  and  luxurious,  was  a 
standing  insult.  No,  they  in  their  turn  were  compelled 
to  make  way  for  the  stern  realities  and  honest  animalism 
over  which  the  Crescent  cast  its  protecting  shadow. 
Then  did  the  conqueror  Mohammed  enter  into  posses- 
sion, he  and  his  people ;  here  they  settled  after 
centuries  of  storm  and  stress,  and  here  they  are  still, 
and  they  too  are  prospering — as  said  the  Oracle  in 
those  dim  distant  ages  before  the  Greek  seafarers 
landed  here. 

Meantime,  behind  those  sheltering  walls,  Europe 
was  working  out  its  destiny. 

The  Western  Empire  centred  in  Imperial  Rome 
succumbed  before  the  on-rush  of  barbarians  from  the 
north,  those  warriors  from  primaeval  forests,  blue-eyed 
and  strong,  whose  very  aspect  reduced  the  stout 
Roman  legionaries  to  tears  of  terror  and  despair,  with 
fair  hair  floating  in  the  breeze  as  their  long  boats 
(sea-serpents  they  called  them)  bore  them  from  shore 
to  shore,  or  as   astride  of  their  shaggy  horses   they 

20 


Constantinople 

crossed  the  frontiers  guarded  by  Roman  legions,  and 
conquered  as  they  went.  Then  these  took  root,  the 
Langobards  in  northern  Italy,  Goths  in  the  Iberian 
Peninsula,  Saxons  and  Angles  in  Britain,  and,  by 
degrees,  became  conscious  of  political  existence. 

Some  vanished  before  the  fury  of  the  Arab  as 
did  the  Goths  in  Spain,  while  others  grew  and  pros- 
pered like  the  Franks.  Races  emerged  from  darkness 
to  add  to  the  confusion  of  Europe's  seething  mass  of 
humanity.  Christianity  shed  its  light  upon  them,  and 
by  degrees  order  appeared,  to  make  way  again 
from  time  to  time  to  wild  disorder. 

And  all  the  time  the  walls  of  Constantine's  proud 
city  prevented  the  irruption  of  any  Eastern  foes  whose 
advent  would  have  made  confusion  worse  confounded. 

So  on  the  eastern  frontier  of  the  eastern  empire 
a  wonderful  revival  of  the  power  of  Persia  was  held  in 
check  by  those  who  held  the  fort  of  Constantine,  and 
a  vigorous  attempt  to  regain  the  possessions  of  Hellas- 
hated  Xerxes  was  frustrated. 

Transient  states  arose  and  vanished — the  re- 
public of  Rome,  the  exarchate  of  Ravenna,  mythical 
Celtic  kingdoms  like  Armorica  and  Cornwall,  and 
the  Vandal  kingdom  of  Africa.  Thereupon  appeared 
the  more  lasting  dominions  of  the  Moors  at  Cor- 
dova and  Granada,  and  of  the   Normans  in  France 

21 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

and  Sicily,  and  the  enduring  Power  of  the  Papa. 
See. 

Slowly,  uncertainly,  under  the  shelter  of  the 
walls  of  Constantinople,  Europe  drew  the  first  rough 
outline  of  her  present  political  aspect,  and  began  to 
emerge  from  barbarism. 

Ambitions  and  strange  freaks  of  fanaticism  flared 
up  among  young  nations  and  died  away.  Among  the 
former  the  revival  of  the  Roman  Empire  by  Germanic 
monarchs  lingered  longest.  Conceived  by  Charle- 
magne with  the  aid  of  the  Roman  pontiff  and  his  own 
paladins,  this  dream  lived  on  for  many  centuries, 
caused  endless  bloodshed  and  such  cruel  deeds  as  the 
murder  of  that  hapless  Conradin,  the  last  of  the 
Hohenstauffens,  a  race  of  rulers  that  had  given  rise  to 
many  legends  and  heroic  lays.  Then  the  Crusaders 
with  all  their  fruitless  sufferings,  their  lavish  shedding 
of  blood  and  treasure,  and  the  masses  of  private 
iniquity  which  they  died  trusting  to  expiate  by  public 
sacrifice. 

And  yet  Constantinople  held  the  eastern  foe  at 
bay.  The  tradition  of  Rome's  all-conquering  legions 
lingered  yet,  and  old  Byzantium  boasted  of  a  standing 
army,  highly  trained  and  disciplined  through  all  these 
centuries — those  stormy  times  for  Europe,  when 
every  man's  hand  was  against  his  neighbours.     Then 

22 


Constantinople 

bands  of  armed  men  roamed  over  Europe,  following 
this  leader  or  the  other,  each  bent  only  on  his  own 
advancement. 

Little  by  little  degeneration  set  in  within  and 
without  the  walls  of  Constantinople.  One  fair  pro- 
vince after  another  was  regained  by  those  barbarians 
from  whom  they  had  been  conquered,  and  the  mighty 
Eastern  Empire  fell  to  pieces.  The  spirit  of  the  people 
was  no  longer  bent  on  upholding  the  traditions  of  the 
past,  or,  mayhap,  lived  too  much  in  those  traditions. 

So  when  the  nations  had  begun  to  settle,  the  day 
of  Constantine's  city  was  over  and  its  task  accom- 
plished. The  eastern  foeman  achieved  the  oft- 
attempted  end,  and  possessed  himself  of  those  ram- 
parts which  so  long  had  kept  him  at  bay,  and 
established  a  new  empire  in  place  of  the  vanished 
power  of  Roman  tradition.  There  is  yet  another 
aspect  to  the  history  of  Constantinople.  It  was  here 
that  its  second  founder  embraced  Christianity.  St. 
Sophia  and  St.  Irene  still  stand  as  monuments  to 
mark  that  happening,  albeit  the  crescent,  not  the 
cross,  now  glitters  from  their  pinnacles  ;  although 
portly,  bearded  Imams  now  take  the  place  of  the  long- 
haired Greek  priests,  and  the  high  altars  have  been 
turned  awry,  so  that  the  faithful  may  know  that  their 
gaze  is  fixed  direct  towards  Mecca. 

23 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

Here  much  of  St.  Chrysostom's  life  and  energy 
was  spent ;  here,  since  the  schism  with  the  Church  of 
Rome,  has  been  the  Seat  of  the  Patriarch,  head  and 
high  priest  of  the  Greek  Church. 

Rulers,  dynasties,  even  governing  races  have 
replaced  each  other,  yet  here  the  Patriarchate  still 
maintains  the  dignity  of  the  great  Church  it  repre- 
sents. For  the  strong  man  who  vanquished  this  proud 
city  did  not  seek  to  turn  his  new  subjects  to  his  faith, 
but  rather  gave  them  full  liberty  to  follow  their 
own.  And  this  has  been  the  policy  of  his  successors ; 
thus  it  is  that  a  Greek  patriarch,  Joachim,  third  of 
that  name,  this  day  watches  over  the  interests  of  his 
flock.  Adherents  to  every  creed,  save  that  of  the 
Armenians,  have  enjoyed  complete  religious  freedom, 
and  Jews  who  were  hounded  out  of  Catholic  Spain 
took  refuge  under  the  Chalif  of  Islam. 

The  same  policy  is  continued  by  those  clear-headed 
men  who  have  but  recendy  revived  the  Empire  of  the 
East,  and  trust  in  time  to  give  it  a  government  conceived 
on  modern  lines.  Romance !  Are  not  the  pages  of 
history,  even  the  most  recent,  made  glorious  by  it  ? 
So  who  will  deny  the  attribute  of  romance  to  the  story 
of  a  walled  city  ? 

Think  of  the  enterprise,  the  ingenuity,  the  steadfast 
endeavour  that  led  to  the  encircling  of  ever-increasing 

24 


Constantinople 

areas  within  the  embrace  of  those  stout  walls  ;  of  the 
life  of  the  people  who  pressed  onward  out  of  pagan- 
ism to  Christianity,  from  despotism  to  constitutional 
government. — Romance ! 

In  younger  days  wars  were  waged  because  some 
fair  lady  had  been  carried  off,  some  rich  jewel  stolen, 
and  in  order  that  black  insults  might  be  wiped  out. 
We  live  nowadays  beneath  a  more  sombre  sky. 
From  isolated  incidents  our  motives  have  crystallized 
into  definite  principles,  and  it  needs  the  delicate  eye  of 
the  artist  to  see  any  of  the  old  lustre  in  our  honest  if 
humdrum  efforts  to  defend  them. 

Constantinople — the  name  conjures  up  dreams  of 
Eastern  colour,  Eastern  sights,  and  Eastern  smells  : 
visions  of  Turks  in  baggy  breeches  and  jaunty  fez ; 
visions  of  bearded  elders  in  flowing  robes  and  turbans, 
white,  green  or  multi-coloured  according  to  the  wearer's 
calling,  descent,  or  personal  taste,  for  only  he  who  is 
learned  in  the  Koran  may  wear  white.  Those  who 
claim  descent  from  the  Prophet  bind  their  fez  with 
green,  and  divers  colours  are  worn  more  by  Ottoman 
subjects  from  over  the  water.  Then  you  dream  of 
stalwart  sunburnt  Turkish  soldiery  whose  bearing 
speaks  of  Koran-bred  discipline  and  stubborn  fighting, 
and  a  fanaticism  which  takes  the  place  of  imagination. 
Gorgeous  cavasses,  frock-coated  followers  of  Islam  with 

25 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

unshaven  jowls  and  green  umbrellas,  smart  Bedouins 
and  copper-coloured  eunuchs  from  Abyssinia,  immacu- 
lately-attired dragomans,  veiled  ladies,  more  mysterious 
even  than  their  Western  sisters — in  fact,  splendour, 
squalor,  light  and  life,  and  all  as  picturesque  and 
romantic  as  dreams  can  be.  This  is  the  vision,  and 
the  reality  to  whosoever  is  fortunate  enough  to  see 
Constantinople  is  its  fulfilment.  All  but  the  dragomans, 
perhaps,  for  you  may  pass  one  by  and  not  know  he  is 
that  wonderful  omniscient  being — a  dragoman.  He 
will  hide  his  greatness  under  a  straw  hat,  maybe,  he 
may  even  affect  an  air  of  Western  hustle. 

But  every  other  effect  makes  up  for  any  disappoint- 
ment one  may  experience  over  dragomans.  In  a  golden 
haze  kaleidoscopic  changes,  every  type  of  face  a  study, 
every  street  corner  its  own  distinctive  character,  even 
the  spick  and  span  liners  that  lie  along  the  quays,  or 
have  their  station  in  the  fairway  of  the  Golden  Horn, 
seem  to  adopt  a  catchet  other  than  their  register 
provides  for  them.  Over  all,  the  domes  of  many 
mosques  with  their  attendant  minarets,  from  which  the 
call  to  prayer  goes  forth,  they  point  the  way  to  the  goal 
of  all  good  Moslems,  and  few  there  are  who  allow  this 
world's  cares  to  interfere  with  their  devotions.  Later 
in  the  day  these  mosques,  silhouetted  In  the  gold  of  a 
Stamboul  sunset   along   with  the   other  tall  columns 

26 


Constantinople 

**  qui  s'accusent "  against  the  sky,  go  to  form,  as 
Browning  (who  had  never  seen  them)  suggests,  a  sort 
of  giant  scrip  of  ornamental  Turkish  handwriting. 

So,  having  followed  this  sketch  of  Constantinople's 
history  from  Byzas  to  these  days,  in  which  an  almost 
bloodless  revolution  has  been  accomplished,  let  us 
approach  the  city,  and  mark  the  bulwarks  that  are 
left,  and  hear  what  those  massive  towers  and  battle- 
ments have  to  tell  us. 


27 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  APPROACH  TO  THE  CITY  BY  THE  BOSPHORUS 

Author  and  Artist  have,  for  the  sake  of  compact- 
ness, been  rolled  into  one.  This  method  leaves  to 
both  a  free  hand  and  ensures  absolute  unanimity:  their 
harmonious  whole  now  proposes  to  the  reader  a 
personally  conducted  tour  around  the  walls  of  Con- 
stantinople, within  and  without,  stopping  at  frequent 
intervals  to  allow  the  Artist  to  ply  his  pencil  while  the 
Author  holds  forth  to  an  eager  circle  of  intelligent 
listeners. 

Constantinople  should  not  be  approached  by  those 
who  hail  from  the  West  with  any  Western  hustle — 
no  charging  to  the  agents  or  the  booking-office  at  the 
last  moment  to  demand  a  return  ticket  by  the  quickest 
possible  route,  to  traverse  all  Europe,  passing  through 
many  strange  and  interesting  countries  with  the 
determined  tourist's  reckless  haste,  to  tumble  out  on  to 
the  platform  of  the  German-looking  Stamboul  railway 
station,  worn  out  and  wretched  and  wishing  to  be  back 
at  home  again.     Rather  should  the  traveller  wean  his 

28 


Approach  to  the  City  by  the  Bosphorus 

mind  from  many  Western  notions.  Let  him  disabuse 
himself  of  the  hackneyed  superstition  that  time  is  of 
any  moment.  In  the  East  it  is  not.  Men  have  all  the 
time  there  is,  and  plenty  of  that.  In  this  respect  it 
corresponds  to  the  biblical  description  of  Heaven  : 
"  There  is  no  time  there."  Conscious  of  their  easily 
won  eternity,  trains,  and  more  particularly  boats,  make 
no  attempt  to  start  at  the  hour  mentioned  in  the 
schedule,  aware  that  by  doing  so  they  would  only 
cause  inconvenience  to  the  large  majority  of  their 
passengers.  Any  one  who  has  had  official  relations 
with  the  Turk  knows  that  his  most  frequent  exclama- 
tion is  *'  Yarsah — yarsah  "  (**  Slowly — slowly  "),  but  to 
most  foreigners  the  system  is,  at  first,  a  little  discon- 
certing. Again,  the  traveller  should  prepare  his  mind 
for  what  he  hopes  to  see — a  walled  city, — so  should, 
ere  starting,  let  his  mind's  eye  travel  beyond  his  garden 
wall,  against  which  perchance  he  may  safely  lean  as  aid 
to  meditation,  to  what  he  has  heard  of  walls,  walls  that 
were  built  by  many  devoted  generations  and  in  return 
protected  their  descendants  from  those  hungry  powers 
that  seek  to  destroy  whatever  prospers. 

And  travelling  toward  his  Eastern  goal  the  reader 
passes  through  many  an  ancient  city  whose  walls 
chronicle  the  history  of  its  inhabitants.  He  should  take 
his  journey  easily,  should  move  eastward  with  no  undue 

29 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

haste.  Let  him  go  down  the  Danube,  that  mighty 
river  which  arises  from  a  small  opening  In  the  court- 
yard of  a  German  castle,  flows  majestically  through  the 
lands  of  many  nations,  where  before  the  days  of  history 
Saga  held  her  sway  and  gave  birth  to  the  NIbelungs. 
In  Its  waters  many  ruined  castles  are  reflected,  amongst 
others  Dlirnsteln,  where  Blondel's  voice  at  length 
brought  hope  of  deliverance  to  his  Imprisoned  liege, 
Richard  Coeur-de-LIon.  He  will  pass  many  fair 
historic  cities,  Vienna,  Budapesth,  Belgrade,  the  White 
Fortress,  and  soon  through  the  Iron  Gates,  whence  the 
great  stream  swells  with  Increasing  volume  through  the 
plains  of  Eastern  Europe  to  throw  out  many  arms  to 
the  Black  Sea.  It  is  here  that  Author  and  Artist 
await  you  ;  for  to  worthily  approach  Constantinople 
you  should  do  so  from  the  north,  and  by  sea.  And 
you  are  in  good  company,  for  by  this  seaway  came 
the  Russians  In  their  several  attempts  on  the  Eastern 
capital.  The  Turks,  too,  the  present  masters  of  the 
situation,  found  this  way  and  followed  It  to  victory. 
These,  too,  overcame  great  difficulties — they  sailed  In 
small  vessels  and  were  much  at  the  mercy  of  wind  and 
weather ;  in  fact,  the  Russians  found  their  plans  frus- 
trated by  the  elements.  They  met  with  anything  but 
a  pleasant  reception,  whereas  the  traveller  nowadays 
steams  In  great  comfort  In  a  racy-looking   Roumanian 

30 


I  mm 


m    1    1? 


jiV'^fm 


il'l 


^•(f'        '.'I': 


Approach  to  the  City  by  the  Bosphonis 

md  is   sure  of  a  courteous  welcome  from   his 
hospitable  host,  the  Turk, 

Along,  the  coast  of  Bulgaria — that  kingdom  of 
strong  men  under  a  strong  ruler,  whose  history,  with  a 
long  and  melancholy  hiatus,  is  taken  up  again,  is  in 
the  making,  and  bids  fair  to  rival  that  of  older  nations 
r<  I  ecord  of  devotion  and  steadfastness  of  purpose. 
A  ad  so  to  the  mouth  of  the  Bosphorus,  a  narrow 
:e  through  which  the  strong  current  of  the  Black 


,-  r  *\- 


X-  t  nfiM  ,rrri  h»>«-<:     1  ,r:i  ■» -r-'i  t 


Genoese  Castle  at  entrance  to  Bosphorus  from 
THE  Black  Sea. 

A  narrow  entrance  this — strongly  fortified  it  was  too,  in 
olden  times,  for  on  that  height  to  the  left  stands  a  frowning 
ruin,  a  Genoese  Castle. 

jea!  theysoueht,  and.  like  true 
Jiey  found  and  followed  it. 
A   narrow  entrance  this,  and  strongly  held, 
deserves  to  be  if  Nature  be  man's  handmaid.    Strongly 
fortified  it  was,  too,  in  olden  times,  for  on  that  height  to 
the  left  stands  a  frowning  ruin,  a  Genoese  castle,  com- 
manding the  entrance  for  many  miles  round  the  open 
sea  and  the  rolling,  wooded  heights  of  Asia  inland. 
Intensely  interesting  are  the  naval  exploits  of  the 
ty  republics  of  Italy  during  the  Middle  Ag< 

31 


MOHH   atjaoHM. 


r/.a  TA  .-iAi^/-^^  aastowaO 


>^nia7/oil  £  abnjsJg  Jldl  adl  of  tH^iad  ^dj  no  lol  ,a9fnil  iioblo 

.ahgfiO  9890090  £  ,niui 


■4 


«i\,      ■*, 


Approach  to  the  City  by  the  Bosphorus 

liner,  and  is  sure  of  a  courteous  welcome  from  his 
hospitable  host,  the  Turk. 

Along  the  coast  of  Bulgaria — that  kingdom  of 
strong  men  under  a  strong  ruler,  whose  history,  with  a 
long  and  melancholy  hiatus,  is  taken  up  again,  is  in 
the  making,  and  bids  fair  to  rival  that  of  older  nations 
as  a  record  of  devotion  and  steadfastness  of  purpose. 
And  so  to  the  mouth  of  the  Bosphorus,  a  narrow 
entrance  through  which  the  strong  current  of  the  Black 
Sea  forces  its  way  to  join  the  warm  waters  of  the 
Mediterranean. 

The  Argonauts  found  their  way  through  here,  braved 
the  crash  of  the  Symplegades,  and  sailed  out  into  the 
unknown  in  search  of  the  golden  apples  of  the  Hespe- 
rides.  Let  no  man  say  that  these  were  simply  oranges, 
for  these  a  man  may  cull  in  many  a  Greek  garden 
to-day.  No — it  was  an  ideal  they  sought,  and,  like  true 
men,  they  found  and  followed  it. 

A  narrow  entrance  this,  and  strongly  held,  as  it 
deserves  to  be  if  Nature  be  man's  handmaid.  Strongly 
fortified  it  was,  too,  in  olden  times,  for  on  that  height  to 
the  left  stands  a  frowning  ruin,  a  Genoese  castle,  com- 
manding the  entrance  for  many  miles  round  the  open 
sea  and  the  rolling,  wooded  heights  of  Asia  inland. 

Intensely  interesting  are  the  naval  exploits  of  the 
city  republics  of  Italy  during  the  Middle  Ages.     It  is 

31 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

not  easy  to  realize  the  power  developed  by  such  towns 
as  Pisa,  Genoa,  and  Venice,  and  the  enormous  import- 
ance of  the  part  they  took  in  the  development  of 
Europe.  Other  cities  are  so  much  overshadowed  by 
Rome,  that  those  who  are  not  historians  hear  only 
echoes  of  their  greatness. 

Primarily  there  seems  to  be  a  divergence  in  the 
origin  of  empire  between  those  gained  by  a  northern 
or  southerly  race.     Latin  empires  grew  out  ot  cities — 
Rome  and  Constantinople,  and  Athens  with  her  Delian 
Confederacy  ;    the  States  of  Pisa  which  owned   large 
oversea  possessions,  Genoa  which  to  a  long  strip  of 
coast  counted  Corsica  among  her  spoils,  Venice  which 
with  varying  fortunes  controlled  Dalmatia  and  I  stria 
and  built  the  stout  fortress  of  Nauplia  commanding 
the    Gulf    of    Argolis.     Whereas    England,    France, 
Germany,  in  fact  those  empires  founded  by  the  men 
of  a  Northern  race,  began,  it  appears,  by  the  conquest  of 
other  people's  cities,  and,  making  themselves  masters 
of  a  number  of  such  towns,  started  states  of  their  own, 
drawing  liberal  and  very  elastic  boundaries  round  them 
which  they  could  enlarge  when  strong  enough  by  the 
simple    expedient    of  picking   a   quarrel    with   their 
neighbours.     These  depended  for  their  defence  more 
on  those  who  lived  in  fortified  seclusion  on  the  marches 
of  their  domain  than  on  the  town-dwellers. 

32 


Approach  to  the  City  by  the  Bosphorus 

The  Genoese  navy,  composed  of  ships  fitted  out 
alike  for  battle  as  well  as  for  commerce,  was  free  to 
look  further  afield  as  soon  as  Pisa,  their  whilom  ally 
against  the  Saracens  of  Africa,  Spain  and  the 
Mediterranean  islands  (but  a  formidable  rival  at  all 
other  times),  had  been  finally  crushed  at  Meloria. 
Opportunity  soon  offered,  for  trouble  arose  as  usual  in 
the  Eastern  Empire.  The  Latin  dynasty  put  into 
power  by  the  crusaders  was  sinking  lower,  and  a  feeling 
for  the  restitution  of  the  Greek  Empire  was  growing. 
Also,  the  Venetians,  new  rivals,  had  assisted  the  Latins, 
so  there  was  every  reason  to  interfere.  The  interfer- 
ence proved  successful,  Michael  Palseologus  conceded 
the  suburbs  of  Pera  and  Galata  to  the  Genoese.  These 
places  were  fortified,  and  served  as  a  base  from  whence 
to  push  Genoese  enterprise  further  into  the  Black  Sea, 
and  in  the  Crimea  a  factory  was  established.  From 
time  to  time  the  Genoese  turned  against  the  Greeks, 
no  doubt  in  order  that  their  swords  might  not  rust  for 
want  of  exercise  during  the  piping  times  of  that  peace 
which  in  the  East  was  a  seldom  acquired  taste.  They 
stood  by  the  Greeks,  however,  when  trouble  came  from 
elsewhere,  and  to  the  last  upheld  their  high  reputation 
for  bravery  and  devotion. 

The  Genoese  tower  of  Galata  still  stands  over- 
looking the  Golden  Horn.  A  yet  more  notable  monu- 
c  33 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

ment  to  those  gallant  seafarers  are  the  so-called 
**  Capitulations."  The  Genoese  colony  was  ruled  by 
a  magistrate  sent  from  home,  and  to  this  day  that  right 
is  still  granted  to  the  Powers  of  Europe,  and  can  only 
be  fully  appreciated  by  those  familiar  with  the  ordinary 
standards  of  Eastern  justice. 

On  the  next  height  the  Giant's  Mountain,  also  on 
the  left  bank,  is  another  monument  of  yet  greater 
antiquity,  though  perhaps  its  historical  value  is  less 
easily  assessed — depending  more  than  ever  on  personal 
opinion  and  a  romantic  nature  completely  undisturbed 
by  the  galling  limitations  of  probability — the  Tomb  of 
Joshua.  Its  origin  is  shrouded  in  mystery,  as  it  well 
may  be  considering  the  countless  ages  that  have  passed 
over  it — there  are  so  few  records  of  Joshua's  travels  that 
no  doubt  that  eminent  warrior  may  have  gone  on  leave 
to  travel  for  the  improvement  of  his  mind  like  his 
colleagues  of  the  present  day  without  our  hearing  any- 
thing of  his  experiences  in  foreign  parts.  It  is  equally 
possible  that  he  may  not  have  returned  from  furlough 
— owing  to  decease.  This  is  purely  speculation — very 
real,  however,  is  the  tomb  itself.  A  long,  narrow, 
walled-in  space  in  connection  with  a  small  mosque  and 
under  the  care  of  the  Hodja  in  charge  contains  this, 
his  resting-place,  enclosed  by  iron  rails  and  about 
24  ft.   long  by  10.     It  also  serves  as  fruit  garden,  or 

34 


Approach  to  the  City  by  the  Bosphorus 

orchard — for  several  fig-trees  grow  here,  so  we  see 
that,  unless  the  legend  lies,  Joshua  must  have  been  a 
tall  strapping  fellow  and  the  sons  of  Anak  can  have 
caused  him  no  real  surprise  or  alarm. 

The  correct  thing  to  do  is  to  walk  round  the  tomb 
a  great  many  times  (there  is  a  fixed  number,  but  it  does 
not  matter  much),  tie  a  bit  of  rag  to  the  railing  and 
express  a  wish,  keeping  it  strictly  to  yourself.  The 
next  best  thing  to  do  is  to  forget  the  wish,  pay  two- 
pence in  baksheesh  and  ride  away  to  get  the  most  of 
a  glorious  view.     Artist  and  Author  alike  do  so. 

And  a  pleasant  thing  it  is  to  ride  on  into  Asia 
Minor  on  an  alert,  sure-footed  Arab  ;  he  need  be  sure- 
footed, for  at  one  time  your  road  leads  along  the  very 
edge  of  a  steep  decline,  at  another  over  the  bed  of 
what  is  a  rushing  torrent  in  the  rainy  season.  Every- 
where a  changing  vista,  bold,  rolling  hills,  now  covered 
with  short  scrub  and  heather,  with  black  rocks  peering 
through  it — now  under  oak  and  beech,  everywhere  the 
glorious  bracing  air  of  the  uplands  mingled  with 
breezes  from  the  Northern  Sea.  Here  and  there  you 
find  patches  of  cultivation,  the  patient  team  of  oxen 
drawing  the  primitive  plough,  merely  an  iron-shod 
staff  at  an  angle  to  the  shaft  to  which  the  team  is  yoked. 
Near  by,  a  village,  small  wooden  houses  sheltered  by 
fig-trees,  a  little  shady  caf^  where  of  an  evening  the 
c  2  35 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

men  smoke  a  solemn  hubble-bubble  and  discuss  events 
in  the  measured  sentences  of  a  conversation  which 
begins  about  nothing  in  particular  and  ends  in  the  same 
district. 

What  changes  those  fields  have  known  !  armies 
pouring  into  Asia  full  of  enterprise  and  the  lust  of 
conquest,  returning  to  escort  a  victorious  emperor 
in  triumph  through  the  Golden  Gate,  or  beaten  rem- 
nants of  a  host  to  seek  refuge  behind  the  city  walls. 
And  a  plough  of  the  same  construction,  drawn  by  the 
same  faithful  servants,  stopped  its  course  a  while  to 
watch,  and  then  went  on  its  way  unchanging. 

But  the  fairest  road  is  still  that  glittering  water- 
way with  its  ever-increasing  number  of  craft,  so  we 
pass  on  to  Constantinople.  With  a  fair  breeze  from  the 
Black  Sea  dead  astern  small  sailing  vessels  hurry  on 
towards  their  goal — the  Golden  Horn.  They  are  high 
in  the  bows,  higher  still  in  the  poop,  with  an  elegant 
waist  but  withal  a  reasonable  breadth  of  beam,  brightly 
painted  too,  with  cunning  devices  on  the  prow  and  sails 
that  glisten  white  under  the  Ottoman  ensign;  they 
carry  for  a  flag  a  crescent  argent  in  a  field  gules  (the 
Artist  insists  on  heraldic  terms,  as  they  are  so  pictur- 
esque). These  little  ships  have  been  busy  collecting 
many  things  for  the  Stamboul  market  along  the  Black 
Sea  Coast.       Heavy-laden  tramps  thump  onward  to 

36 


Approach  to  the  City  by  the  Bosphorus 

Odessa  to  return  with  corn  or  wool.  We  overhaul  a 
yacht-bowed  Russian  mail-boat  and  get  a  shrill  whinny 
of  greeting  from  the  stout  little  passenger  steamers, 
Tyne-built,  that  ply  between  the  many  landing-stages 
along  the  Bosphorus  bringing  officials,  business  men 
and  even  artists  back  from  the  city  to  those  quiet,  cosy 
little  bungalows  that  hide  among  the  trees  on  either 
side.  White-painted  caiques  flit  across  from  side  to 
side,  one-oared  and  even  two-,  some  more  pretentious 
ones  with  more  oars  still,  the  boatmen  dressed  in 
becoming  uniform,  veiled  ladies  in  the  stern  sheets.  A 
hustling  steam-pinnace  shoots  by  from  one  or  the  other 
*'stationaires,"  for  every  larger  Power  keeps  one  here; 
and  there  on  the  right,  that  row  of  gleaming  palaces  by 
the  waterside  is  Therapia,  those  palaces  the  different 
embassies  in  their  summer  quarters.  Here  homesick 
travellers  of  many  nations  may  feast  their  eyes  on  the 
war- flag  of  their  country  and  get  up  a  thrill,  if  the 
scenery  should  have  failed  to  cause  one.  It  certainly 
is  a  pleasant  sight  to  see  a  sturdy  British  bluejacket 
again  or  his  smart  colleague  of  the  U.S.  Navy  in  his 
jaunty  white  hat.  Therapia  will  tell  you  that  this  is 
the  only  place  to  live  in  during  the  summer;  other 
places  along  the  road  on  either  hand  claim  the  same 
advantage,  and  the  claims  must  be  allowed  where  the 
choice  is  so  difficult.     For  there  is  Candilli,  and  who 

2>7 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

that  has  spent  some  sunny  weeks  under  the  trees  of 
that  favoured  spot,  has  dived  from  the  garden  wall 
(displacing  volumes  of  water)  into  the  evening  phos- 
phorescence of  the  Bosphorus,  but  wishes  to  return  and 
to  repeat  the  performance  ?  And  Arnoutkeni,  where,  on 
a  hill-top,  lives  the  most  hospitable  of  consuls-general. 

The  silvery  way  narrows  and  widens,  and  winds, 
though  slightly,  past  ever-increasing  signs  of  human 
habitation.  Wooden  Turkish  houses  with  the  jealously 
latticed  windows  of  the  harems  dipping  their  stone 
foundations  in  the  sea,  some  with  a  little  scala  leading 
to  a  stoep,  where  the  veiled  ladies  of  the  house  may 
take  the  air  while  children  play  around  them.  Stately 
palaces  walled  off  towards  the  land,  the  sea-front  open 
and  mayhap  the  lordly  owner's  steam-yacht  moored 
just  opposite,  barracks  and  cafds  with  vine-clad  trellis- 
work,  and  behind  the  narrow  stone  streets  and  little 
shops.  Every  now  and  then  a  mosque,  its  dazzling 
minarets  pointing  to  the  sky,  and  also,  too  frequently, 
a  very  modern  residence  in  the  very  latest  bad  taste, 
which  is  saying  a  good  deal. 

To  all  this  a  background  of  trees,  the  warm  depth 
of  pines,  the  pleasant  green  of  oaks  and  beeches,  the 
bright  shining  green  of  fig-tree,  and  everywhere  larger 
or  smaller  groups  of  slim  cypresses,  close-serried 
beneath  whose  shade  rest  faithful  sons  of  Islam — and 

38 


.>proa<  e  Bosphorus 

.:  grouna  man  r^ 

narrow  siraii  u;  '    '"   '  ers  won  so  aeariy. 

rhere  are  open  tipaces  too,  where  groups  of  people* 
-d./  patches  of  bright  colours,  disport  themselves  :  a 

garr^  "'   -— •— ^'  •-  -•  .,^..,^.,^1  ^jgj^^   j^^^.^      Even  a 

'     V  .,.is;;ju.  V  .jtciiiia.7>  *jiu  Ji'.vv.  ciiid  thcre,  Hot  empha- 

>>f.i,-4v*  -,  rA,;f-  f^i^>fiant  v*"'-'^"*"*'"'-  .'^r  K^?^  I-  i-moke  to 


Anatoli  Hissar,  or  the  Castle  of  Asia. 

Within  the  precincts  of  this  castle,  entered  by  narrow  gates, 
are  other  small  houses,  still  smaller  shops  and  cafes. 


Anci  :ons,tht  recent 

1  by  chroniclers  of  Old  Bvzant,  for  they 

are  of  I  '>dd 

On  the  Asiati  is  Anatoli  Hissar, 

or  the  Casdeof  Asia.     Wooden  h  )f  all  ages 

:r  about  it,  tr  •  of  some  painted  in  bright 

:  or  ochre,  or  others  left  to  be  coloured  by 

■angiQg  from  ■  urple  ^ 

tiic  jrm  Sienna.     Withm  the  p 

39 


Approach  to  the  City  by  the  Bosphorus 

surely  none  of  them  might  wish  for  a  more  lovely  and 
decorous  burial-ground  than  here,  looking  out  upon  the 
narrow  strait  their  fathers  won  so  dearly. 

There  are  open  spaces  too,  where  groups  of  people, 
gay  patches  of  bright  colours,  disport  themselves  :  a 
game  of  football  is  no  unusual  sight  here.  Even  a 
factory  chimney  stands  out  here  and  there,  not  empha- 
tically belching  out  defiant  volumes  of  black  smoke  to 
insist  on  the  power  of  the  main-dceuvre,  but  in  a 
gentler  manner,  as  if  rather  apologizing  for  this  outrage 
upon  nature  and  trying  its  best  to  adapt  itself  to  its 
surroundings  by  the  kindly  aid  of  quaint-looking  craft, 
blackavised,  but  free  from  any  suggestion  of  machine- 
made  regularity ;  these  craft  carry  the  coal  necessary 
to  enterprise,  just  to  oblige,  they  seem  to  say. 

The  Channel  widens,  then  narrows  again,  and  here 
stand  two  ancient  fortresses,  one  on  either  hand. 
Ancient,  compared  to  Western  notions,  though  too  recent 
to  be  mentioned  by  chroniclers  of  Old  Byzant,  for  they 
are  of  Turkish  origin,  and  date  back  but  a  few  odd 
centuries.  On  the  Asiatic  side  stands  Anatoli  Hissar, 
or  the  Castle  of  Asia.  Wooden  houses  of  all  ages 
cluster  about  it,  the  wood  of  some  painted  in  bright 
colours,  pink  or  ochre,  or  others  left  to  be  coloured  by 
time  and  climate,  ranging  from  warm  purple  greys  to 
the  strongest  burnt  Sienna.     Within  the  precincts  of 

39 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

this  castle,  entered  by  narrow  gates,  are  other  small 
houses,  still  smaller  shops  and  cafds.  To  southward 
broad  green  streams  join  the  Bosphorus,  the  sweet 
waters  of  Asia,  along  the  banks  of  which  are  pleasant 
open  spaces,  a  mass  of  colour  on  Friday  afternoons  ;  for 
here  the  Moslem  ladies  take  their  leisurely  walks 
abroad  on  that  day,  and  spend  many  pleasant  hours 
chatting  under  the  shady  trees,  though  what  they  find 
to  talk  about  except  their  children,  Allah  alone  knows. 
The  bridge  leading  over  the  northern  arm  of  these 
waters  in  an  attractive  spot :  here  the  Artist  put  up  his 
easel  to  sketch  the  continuous  stream  of  passers-by — 
grave  merchants,  portly  of  person  on  small  donkeys, 
small  horses  laden  with  baskets,  pedestrians  many  and 
of  all  manner  of  races,  mostly  Eastern,  now  and  again 
a  squad  of  cavalry  on  active  little  Arabs,  or  a  body  of 
infantry  with  the  fine  decisive  tramp  of  a  conquering 
race.  At  the  foot  of  the  rather  high-arched  wooden 
bridge  a  number  of  caiques,  white-painted  with  crimson 
cushions,  their  oarsmen  dozing  in  the  sun,  while  heavier 
boats  laden  with  fruit  and  vegetables  go  out  to  market 
at  Stamboul.  Across  the  bridge  quaint  wooden  houses 
with  the  usual  latticed  windows,  and,  connecting  them 
across  the  narrow  street,  vine-covered  trellis-work 
beneath  the  shade  of  which  some  business  is  transacted, 
buying  and  selling  conducted  with  all  the  leisure  and 

40 


Approach  to  the  City  by  the  Bosphorus 

decorum  of  men  for  whom  a  year  more  or  less  means 
little.  Behind  and  crowning  all,  the  frowning  though 
dismantled  fortress.  Here  the  Artist  had  an  experience 
that  struck  him  enormously.  His  morning  sketch  was 
of  the  scene  described  above,  his  afternoon  work  was 
from  inside  a  boat-builder's  yard,  looking  over  the 
sweet  waters  to  some  Turkish  houses,  glorious  in 
colour  with  quaint  wood  carving,  each  with  its  tiny  well- 
kept  garden  by  the  sea. 

The  second  day  while  at  work  on  the  morning 
sketch,  the  genial  boat-builder  approached  and  confided 
the  key  of  his  establishment  to  the  Artist,  at  the  same 
time  intimating  that  the  yard  would  otherwise  have 
been  found  closed  and  thus  the  afternoon*s  sketch 
delayed.  Would  this  have  happened  on  Clyde  or 
Tyne? 

Over  against  Anatoli  Hissar  stands  Roumeli  Hissar, 
the  Castle  of  Europe,  a  yet  more  imposing  mass  of 
ruins.  Its  plan  is  said  to  be  the  cypher  of  Mohammed. 
The  whole  fortress  is  said  to  have  been  built  in  two 
months  by  the  forced  labour  of  Greeks,  to  each  of 
whom  was  delegated  a  measured  area.  The  towers 
that  command  the  upper  part  are  of  the  construction 
peculiar  to  the  Turkish  architecture  of  that  period,  a 
tower  of  smaller  dimension  superimposed  on  the  lower 
one  is  what  it  looks  like,  and  we  shall  see  it  again  at 

41 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

Yedi  Koul6.  This  castle  encircling  a  picturesque 
village  is  peculiarly  beautiful  in  the  spring,  for  then  the 
flaming  colour  of  the  Judas  tree,  swamping  with  its 
vivid  tone  the  delicate  pink  of  almond  sprays,  lights 
up  the  deeper  ochres  and  purples  of  the  surrounding 
masonry,  and  makes  the  dark  cypresses  that  stand  all 
about  strike  even  a  yet  deeper  note  than  when  the 
glamour  of  high  summer  bathes  all  things  in  a  golden 
haze  and  draws  light  even  from  these  sombre  trees. 
And  they  are  so  beautiful,  though  perhaps  a  bit  wistful 
also — their  slender  shape,  the  warm  grey  and  purple  of 
their  stems  and  branches  and  the  cool  depth  of  their 
foliage. 

Close  by  this  castle  stands  Robert  College. 

Further  south,  obliquely  opposite  is  Candilli,  a  place 
where  it  is  good  to  be.  At  first  glance,  but  for  its 
prominent  situation,  it  may  appear  to  be  much  like 
other  places  along  the  banks  of  the  Bosphorus.  A 
short  bit  of  narrow  street,  stone-paved  and  very  bad  to 
walk  on,  leads  to  a  cross-road,  the  cord  that  connects 
all  these  little  villages.  It  is  equally  badly  paved,  but 
as  many  of  the  blocks  of  stone  that  once  served  as 
pavement  have  vanished,  there  are  quite  a  number  of 
softer  spots  wherein  a  man  may  set  his  feet  when 
walking.  There  is  a  cafe  by  the  waterside,  where 
Turks,    Armenians,    Greeks   and    others    take    their 

42 


J 


iW  7<.-Mi 


m^^ 


Approach  to  the  Chv  Kv  fhr^  Bosphorus 

3are,  drink  endless  cups  of  cotiee  ai  "mto  the 

water. 

The  gentleman  whq  sells  tickets  to  those  who  leave 
by  boat,  and  collects  them  from  those  who  land  here, 
jr  ny  generally  be  seen  fishing  from  the  landing-stage 
Me  is  a  philosopher ;  it  is  but  little  that  he  wants,  and 
he  takes  a  long  time  getting  iL  Ther^  is  a  mosque 
.:  se  by  whose  Hodja  is  counted  among  the  Artist's 
'  ^  *  "         a  busy  man.  as  Turks  go :  he 

^  '    '       the  candles 
.uran's  require- 

ROUMELI    HiSSAR,    OR   -THE   CaSTLE    OF    El.ROPE. 

Over    against    Anatoli  Hissar  stands    Roumeli  Hissar,  the 

ZLlt'°'-  ''' ''- ''  -''  '°  '^.  ^.^y^^^  °^ 

ne   annoui...    ...    —    — .    .^  Great. 

There  is  no  God  but  Allah,  and  Mohammed  is  His 
Prophet."  He  has  a  son  who  is  learning  to  chant  the 
^ame  refrain  and  to  quote  the  Koran.  Like  most  of 
the  early  aposdes,  he  is  a  fisherman. 

All   around  by   the   seaport,    on    the    hillside,    in 

garden  and  under  trees,  stand  the  houses  of  those  who 

live   in   Candilli,   either  permanently   or  as   summer 

tenants  only.     Should  the  reader  ever  visit  here,  let 

turn  sharp  to  his  right  and  keep  along  the  s< 

43 


i    1(3  ajr 


nimBdoH 


Approach  to  the  City  by  the  Bosphorus 

leisure,  drink  endless  cups  of  coffee  and  gaze  into  the 
water. 

The  gentleman  who  sells  tickets  to  those  who  leave 
by  boat,  and  collects  them  from  those  who  land  here, 
may  generally  be  seen  fishing  from  the  landing-stage. 
He  is  a  philosopher ;  it  is  but  little  that  he  wants,  and 
he  takes  a  long  time  getting  it.  There  is  a  mosque 
close  by  whose  Hodja  is  counted  among  the  Artist's 
personal  friends.  He  is  a  busy  man,  as  Turks  go  :  he 
sweeps  out  his  mosque,  trims  and  lights  the  candles 
that  adorn  it  by  night,  and  fulfils  all  the  Koran's  require- 
ments in  daily  prayer,  encouraging  others  in  the  same 
commendable  practice.  He  also  possesses  a  magnifi- 
cent tenor  voice  which  is  heard  to  best  advantage 
rising  up  from  his  minaret  to  the  hill  overlooking 
Candilli,  when  exactly  one  hour  and  a  half  after  sunset 
he  announces  to  the  world  that  '*  Allah  is  Great. 
There  is  no  God  but  Allah,  and  Mohammed  is  His 
Prophet."  He  has  a  son  who  is  learning  to  chant  the 
same  refrain  and  to  quote  the  Koran.  Like  most  of 
the  early  apostles,  he  is  a  fisherman. 

All  around  by  the  seaport,  on  the  hillside,  in 
garden  and  under  trees,  stand  the  houses  of  those  who 
live  in  Candilli,  either  permanently  or  as  summer 
tenants  only.  Should  the  reader  ever  visit  here,  let 
him  turn  sharp  to  his  right  and  keep  along  the  sea- 

43 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

front,  a  stone-paved  terrace  about  8  feet  broad  occasion- 
ally broken  to  admit  boats  into  the  boathouses,  caverns 
in  the  stone  foundations  of  the  houses  that  stand  here. 
These  breaks  are  planked  over  for  the  convenience  of 
foot-passengers  ;  and  so  we  keep  on  till  a  sharp  turn 
to  the  left  takes  us  to  a  flight  of  steep  steps.  We 
ascend  and  join  the  high-road,  the  cord  referred  to 
above.  You  are  welcomed  there  by  a  sportive  litter 
of  pariah  pups  who  have  an  al  fresco  lodging  here  on 
a  luxurious  bed  of  melon-skins,  which  provide  food  and 
bedding  at  the  same  time,  and  quite  a  plentiful  supply 
of  each  during  the  season.  The  neighbourhood  for 
miles  round,  city  and  suburbs,  is  full  of  little  corners  con- 
venient for  receiving  things  that  you  no  longer  want.  A 
few  hundred  yards  along  the  high-road  another  sharp 
turn  to  the  left,  another  litter  of  pariah  pups  and  their 
white  mother,  generally  called  the  "old  lady,"  all  most 
pleased  to  see  you  ;  another  ascent,  short  but  sharp  with 
holes  torn  out  of  the  pavement  as  if  the  shell  of  a  cow- 
gun  had  struck  it,  and  you  arrive  at  a  doorway  in  the 
wall.  It  is  quite  unpretentious,  in  fact  its  modesty  is 
carried  so  far  that  a  piece  of  string  that  dangles  out 
of  a  hole  will,  when  you  pull  it,  lift  the  latch  and  so 
give  you  admittance. 

You  enter  an  unpaved  yard,  in  fact  after  a  few  days' 
rain  you  may  call  it  a  garden,  for  grass  grows  up  with- 

44 


Approach  to  the  City  by  the  Bosphorus 

out  any  other  encouragement,  just  as  it  does  in  all 
Eastern  gardens.  Before  you  stands  a  wooden  house, 
shrouded  with  vine  and  overshadowed  by  a  fig-tree  ; 
there  is  yet  another  fig-tree  in  the  garden,  and  a  walnut- 
tree  and  another  sitting-out-under  tree,  which  finds 
that  sufficient  avocation,  and  therefore  yields  no  fruit 
of  any  kind. 

Entering  the  house,  the  first  thing  that  meets  your 
eye  and  holds  it  is  a  row  of  boots  on  the  left-hand  side 
of  a  stone-flagged  apartment  called  the  hall.  Your 
eyes  rest  on  the  boots,  for  you  know  at  a  glance  that 
they  are  British  made — they  are,  for  Englishmen  live 
here.  A  doorway  opposite  the  entrance  leads  to  the 
kitchen ;  here  the  Greek  cook,  Aleko,  reigns  supreme, 
and  with  him  the  butler,  Kotcho,  which  being  inter- 
preted means  Alexander  and  Constantine.  A  wooden 
staircase  leads  to  upper  regions,  to  a  spacious  sitting- 
room,  where  no  one  ever  sits  save  in  wet  weather. 
But  why  this  lengthy  description  of  an  ordinary  English 
bachelor  abode  ?  the  reader  asks  of  the  Author.  .  He 
gets  behind  his  collaborator — the  Artist  lived  here,  and 
thus  history  is  made. 

The  Artist  lived  here  as  the  guest  of  those  whose 
work  lies  in  Constantinople.  There  were  several, 
their  numbers  had  frequent  additions  towards  the  week- 
end,  and  the  assembly  went  by  different  names,  the 

45 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

most  common  being  the  *' Y.M.C.A.,"  because  one  of 
the  number  nearly  lunched  in  the  company  of  a  bishop 
one  day,  and  a  bishop  in  the  Levant  is  rare  enough  for 
comment. 

They  lived  in  great  contentment,  did  these  Britons 
abroad ;  at  work  during  the  day,  they  foregathered  at 
dinner  in  the  variegated  garb  that  betokens  ease  and 
talked  of  many  things  between  the  peals  of  the  pianola 
wafted  from  a  villa  higher  up  on  the  hillside.  They 
listened  to  the  Eastern  sounds  that  came  to  them  from 
afar,  to  the  warning  hum  of  the  mosquito,  the  distant 
barking  of  a  dog,  the  tapping  of  the  watchman's  iron- 
shod  staff  on  the  pavement  outside.  One  night  they 
heard  his  cry  of  "  Yungdin  Var  "  (**  There  is  a  fire  "),  as 
in  accordance  with  time-honoured  custom  he  proclaimed 
some  distant  conflagration,  while  his  colleagues  all 
along  the  coast  on  either  side  gave  the  same  warning. 
This  call  sounded  in  the  lane  below  the  bungalow,  and 
was  vigorously  repeated  from  within.  The  watchman 
answered,  "Pecci,  pecci,  effendi"  ("All  very  fine,  gentle 
sirs  " — or  words  to  that  effect),  but  tell  me  where  it  is  ? 
and  then  himself  announced  the  place  and  went  on  his 
way  rejoicing  in  a  "score." 

Now  and  then  these  men  would  sally  forth  of  an 
evening  to  one  or  the  other  hospitable  house,  to  dance 
or  dine,  a  solid  phalanx  of  dazzling  shirt-fronts. 

46 


Approach  to  the  City  by  the  Bosphorus 

The  nights  on  the  shores  of  the  Bosphorus  are  very 
fair.  Quite  still,  the  lights  of  Stamboul  and  Pera 
gleaming  in  the  distance,  the  swish  of  passing  steamers 
whose  searchlights  flash  unbidden  through  your 
windows,  and  the  moonlight  reflected  in  their  wash  in 
myriads  of  sparkling  facets.  And  then  the  rosy  dawn 
dispelling  the  faint  haze  upon  the  waters,  when  the  tall 
trees  that  are  silhouetted  black  against  the  clear 
nocturnal  sky,  lose  their  sharply-defined  shape  as  they 
resume  their  colours  and  merge  with  the  glorious 
scheme  of  awakening  chiaroscuro. 

And  for  many  ages  night  on  the  Bosphorus  has 
enjoyed  this  deep  repose,  making  an  occasional  disturb- 
ance such  as  happens  where  men  inhabit  seem 
incongruous.  Imagine  the  deep  stillness  when  Byzas 
first  settled  in  his  City,  set  out  in  early  morning  to 
search  out  the  land  on  his  own  side  of  this  broad 
waterway,  that  led  to  lands  remotely  known  to  him 
through  legend  only.  His  constant  pleased  surprise 
at  finding  more  and  more  treasure  beautiful  and 
material  in  the  wooded  bays  where  safe  anchorage 
offered.  And  his  return  at  nightfall  in  the  stillness  till 
he  saw  the  ramparts  of  his  City  purple  against  the 
evening  sky,  faint  lights  twinkling  and  fainter  sounds 
reaching  him  across  the  water  betokening  the  activity 
of  his  settlers. 

47 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

These  peaceful  waters  have  known  much  strife  and 
turmoil,  the  valleys  on  either  hand,  the  hills  of  Europe 
and  Asia  have  echoed  back  the  sounds  of  battle.  Fast 
sailing  ships  brought  swarms  of  adventurers  down  time 
after  time  to  try  their  fortunes  before  the  walls  of 
Caesar's  Castle.  From  Roumeli  Hissar,  the  fortress 
built  by  Mahomed  the  Conqueror,  right  down  beyond 
Seraglio  Point  and  into  the  Sea  of  Marmora  stretched 
that  monarch's  fleet.  But  it  was  of  no  avail  against  the 
seaward  walls.  Entrance  to  the  harbour  was  impossible, 
as  a  chain  had  been  stretched  across  the  mouth  of  the 
Golden  Horn,  and  behind  it  the  larger  vessels  of  the 
Genoese  and  Venetians  rode  at  anchor.  So  Mahomed 
conceived  a  plan  bold  and  in  keeping  with  his  character 
and  ability.  He  decided  to  convey  a  portion  of  his  fleet 
across  country  to  the  upper  reaches  of  the  Golden 
Horn  and  to  attack  the  walls  that  guarded  the  upper 
harbour. 

There  appears  to  be  some  doubt  still  as  to  the 
exact  spot  where  these  galleys  were  beached  and  as 
to  the  route  they  took.  Galata,  the  Genoese  fortress, 
must  be  avoided,  and  at  the  same  time  the  shortest 
route  must  be  taken.  Galata  stands  in  a  position  some- 
what similar  to  Constantinople,  on  a  promontory  formed 
by  the  Hellespont  on  one  side  and  on  the  other  by  the 
Golden  Horn,  which  bends  slighdy  to  the  north  after 

48 


Approach  to  the  City  by  the  Bosphorus 

passing  west  of  where  the  land-wall  of  Theodosias  joined 
the  sea-wall  of  the  Bosphorus,  towards  the  sweet  waters 
of  Europe.  At  any  rate  we  pass  the  place  where 
this  great  feat  was  accomplished,  and  this  is  how  it  was 
done.  Mahomed  made  a  road  of  smooth  planks 
covered  with  grease,  and  along  this  road  a  host  of  men 
pulled  eighty  galleys  in  the  night.  The  next  morning 
these  ships  were  riding  at  anchor  in  the  upper, 
shallower  part  of  the  harbour  beyond  reach  of  the 
larger  vessels  of  the  Genoese  and  Venetians.  Accord- 
ing to  the  Byzantine  chronicler  Ducas,  every  galley 
had  a  pilot  at  her  prow  and  another  at  her  poop,  with 
the  rudder  in  his  hand,  one  moved  the  sails  while  a 
fourth  beat  the  drum  and  sang  a  sailor's  song.  And 
thus  the  whole  fleet  passed  along  as  though  it  had 
been  carried  by  a  stream  of  water,  sailing,  as  it  were, 
over  the  land. 

Certainly  a  most  remarkable  feat  carried  out  to  the 
sound  of  the  drum.  The  drum  an  instrument,  some 
say  of  torture  during  the  month  of  Ramazan,  for  it 
serves  to  arouse  the  faithful  Moslem  an  hour  before 
sunrise  that  he  may  eat — for  he  may  touch  neither 
meat  nor  drink  between  sunrise  and  sunset  during  this 
fast,  and  it  cannot  fail  to  wake  others  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. Entirely  oriental  in  its  origin — no  doubt 
an  ancient,  its  enthusiasts  think  venerable  means  of 
D  49 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

producing  sound — its  appearance  in  Europe  is  of  com- 
paratively recent  date ;  in  fact,  not  till  after  West  and 
East  met  in  the  Crusades  did  the  drum  become  part 
of  a  European  army's  outfit,  and  to  this  we  may 
directly  trace  the  creation  of  military  bands,  for  where 
would  any  band,  save  a  German  one  performing  in 
England,  be  without  a  drum  ?  We  may  conclude  that 
in  all  probability  it  served  a  double  purpose,  the 
uncanny  noise  both  struck  terror  into  the  heart  of  the 
enemy  and  cheered  on  "  the  Faithful  "  to  battle.  The 
Roman  armies  sounded  the  tuba,  Frank  or  Teuton 
put  his  soul  into  a  bullock's  horn,  which  a  later  period 
imitated  in  brass,  and  that  so  successfully  that  not 
even  the  best  of  modern  composers  can  altogether  do 
without  it.  The  Crusaders  rallied  their  bands  by 
means  of  horns,  each  in  a  different  key,  no  doubt ;  the 
Saracens  beat  drums  to  draw  their  followers  to  the 
Crescent  standard,  and  a  happy  blending  of  these  two, 
with  the  addition  of  some  attempts  at  harmony,  now 
brighten  the  soldier's  life  when  marching  to  church  in 
sections,  or  returning  heavy  footed  from  a  field  day. 

The  traveller  is  at  liberty  to  choose  any  spot  he 
likes,  given  that  it  be  on  our  right,  to  settle  where 
Mahomed's  galleys  left  the  waters  ;  that  safely  accom- 
plished, he  should  look  before  him.  We  have  passed 
many  charming  little  villages  quaintly  named — Beyler- 

50 


aroach  to  the  City  by  die  i^sphorus 

KrLb^fache.     On    the    heights  ab      :   . 

ea-front,  as  we  sail  on  towards  Con- 
antinople,  and  there  it  is  before  us. 

We  see  Seraglio  Point,  and  then  the  view  increases, 

owinqf  a  glorious  vista  of  mosques,  gleaming  domes 

iq  mtnaretR     We  pass  on  our  right  a  couple 

and  trim,  moored  opposite  a 

*:  Sultan's  yachts  lie  here, 

:he.     On 

ctiy  ot 

birth  or  inclination,  and 

The  Tower  of  Galata.       ^.j^j^  KlOsk, 

Galata's  proud  Tower  comes  into  view,  and  right  at  its  feet 
the  Golden  Horn,  all  life  and  bustle  and  glittering  harmonies 
of  colour.  , 

Wtnd 

(jcean  liners  catches 
id  add  another  beauty  to  the 

r   port   bow*  we  look  down  the  smooth, 

he  Sea  of  Marmora,  in  which  the 

;^eem  to  float   as   in  a  sunny  haze. 

'^tory,  and  sad  it  is  for  the  greater 

ite  will  be  made  to  that  later,  when 

uished  talking  about  the  scener      -  * 

51 


#1 


Approach  to  the  City  by  the  Bosphorus 

bey,  the  Bay  of  the  Beys  ;  Tshengelkeui  ;  Beshik- 
tache ;  Kabatache.  On  the  heights  above  palaces, 
palaces  on  the  sea-front,  as  we  sail  on  towards  Con- 
stantinople, and  there  it  is  before  us. 

We  see  Seraglio  Point,  and  then  the  view  increases, 
showing  a  glorious  vista  of  mosques,  gleaming  domes 
and  tapering  minarets.  We  pass  on  our  right  a  couple 
of  steam-yachts,  bright  and  trim,  moored  opposite  a 
splendid  palace.  H.M.  the  Sultan's  yachts  lie  here, 
and  his  residence  is  the  Palace  of  Dolma  Bagche.  On 
the  heights  above  Pera,  the  city  of  Italian  origin,  now 
inhabited  by  those  Western  by  birth  or  inclination,  and 
standing  some  distance  away  from  it,  is  Yildiz  Kiosk, 
the  deserted  haunt  of  baleful  associations. 

Galata's  proud  tower  comes  into  view,  and  right 
at  its  feet  the  Golden  Horn,  all  life  and  bustle  and 
glittering  harmonies  of  colour.  The  very  smoke  rising 
from  the  tall  funnels  of  tramps  and  ocean  liners  catches 
the  light,  reflects  it,  and  add  another  beauty  to  the 
aspect. 

Over  our  port  bow  we  look  down  the  smooth, 
shining  expanse  of  the  Sea  of  Marmora,  in  which  the 
Prince's  Islands  seem  to  float  as  in  a  sunny  haze. 
These  have  their  history,  and  sad  it  is  for  the  greater 
part,  and  reference  will  be  made  to  that  later,  when 
the  Artist  has  finished  talking  about  the  scenery,  and 
D  2  51 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

has  returned  to  his  legitimate  occupation.  Behind  these 
islands  are  faintly  seen  the  mountains  of  the  Asiatic 
mainland,  then  the  coast  draws  in  towards  the  Golden 
Horn,  and  here  are  Modar  and  Kadikeui,  villages  so 
called,  though  perhaps  more  truly  suburbs,  wherein 
you  may  find  many  hospitable  houses.  One  of  them 
gave  shelter  to  a  Turkish  gentleman,  a  high-placed 
personage  whom  an  angry  soldiery  were  in  search  of 
during  the  last  counter-revolution,  the  last  dying  effort 
of  reaction.  And  here  below  Modar  lie  many  yachts, 
for  it  is  a  fair  sea  for  yachting  is  the  Sea  of  Marmora, 
and  the  coast  and  the  islands  offer  ever-varying  change 
of  scene.  Then  close  to  Kadikeui  and  north  of  it  is 
Haidar  Pasha,  with  its  blot  upon  the  landscape,  the 
terminus  of  the  Bagdad  railway,  an  edifice  German  in 
construction  and  of  consummate  ugliness.  Close  under 
this  eyesore  is  a  peaceful  spot  where  many  tombstones 
and  a  monument  bear  record  of  the  deeds  of  the 
English  soldiers,  victims  of  the  Crimean  War.  A 
peaceful  spot,  and  oh !  so  beautiful.  Above  it  stands 
a  large  yellow  building  many  storied,  with  a  back- 
ground of  tall  cypresses  in  thousands  that  shade  the 
Turkish  cemeteries,  where  many  lie  who  fought  side 
by  side  with  Britons  and  our  gallant  friends  the  French 
against  their  old  northern  enemy,  Russia.  This  building 
may  fall  to  ruin  and  perish,  the  dead  that  lie  about 

52 


Approach  to  the  City  by  the  Bosphorus 

here  and  their  deeds  may  be  forgotten  by  all  but  the 
straight-stemmed  cypress-trees,  but  the  memory  that 
lives  about  this  place  will  never  die,  for  it  tells  the 
glorious  story  of  a  noble  woman's  work — this  building 
was  Florence  Nightingale's  hospital. 

And  near  here  another  work  by  women  is  in 
progress,  work  devoted  to  rising  generations  at  the 
American  Girls'  College. 

The  traveller  may  cast  a  glance  backward  to  the 
way  he  came  and  see  a  small  tower  standing  in  the  sea 
— this  is  a  trim-looking  tower  and  shows  a  light  o' 
nights — this  is  called  the  tower  of  Leander. 

But  no  more  looking  back.  We  have  arrived 
opposite  Seraglio  Point,  and  our  goal  is  before  us ;  for 
here  is  the  starting-point  of  the  strange  and  glorious 
history  of  the  City  of  Constantine,  here  the  foundations 
of  the  city  of  Byzas  were  laid — here  is  Constantinople. 


S3 


CHAPTER   III 

SERAGLIO    POINT 

Persons  of  importance  like  our  travellers  land  at 
Seraglio  Point  instead  of  travelling  round  to  the  bridge 
of  Galata.  Byzas  did  so,  we  have  it  in  black  and 
white  a  few  pages  back,  so  it  must  be  true.  We  can 
without  much  fear  of  contradiction  suppose  that  Con- 
stantine  the  Great  landed  here  also,  though  perhaps 
he  went  to  one  of  the  harbours  on  the  Sea  of  Marmora. 
Indeed,  he  is  more  likely  to  have  done  so,  for  the 
current  runs  pretty  strongly  and  the  sea  is  more  than 
a  little  choppy  at  this  point.  Byzas  had  no  harbour 
to  turn  into  except  the  Golden  Horn,  and  he  must  have 
been  too  eager  to  land  and  survey  his  new  property  to 
have  followed  that  waterway  any  considerable  distance. 
Just  a  little  west  of  the  point  is  perhaps  the  best  place 
to  land,  somewhere  near  the  Turkish  Custom  House. 

It  is,  of  course,  very  interesting  to  land  at  the 
bridge  of  Galata,  passing  through  crowded  shipping 
on  the  way  up  the  Golden  Horn.  On  one  hand,  to 
the  south,  one  sees  the  irregular  mass  of  buildings, 

54 


Seraglio  Point 

mosques,  and  public  offices  which  go  to  form  Stamboul. 
You  may  descry  that  vast  square  of  solid  ugliness 
owned  by  the  international  creditors  of  the  Ottoman 
Empire  and  known  as  the  Public  Debt.  Close  by  you 
catch  sight  of  the  head-quarters  of  Government — the 
Sublime  Porte.  Drowsy  fox-hunting  squires,  to  whom 
their  wives  read  the  paper  of  an  evening,  must  often 
have  started  at  the  reiteration  of  this  familiar  phrase, 
and  wondered  to  what  year  the  marvellous  Eastern 
vintage  belonged. 

Opposite  the  business  quarter  of  Galata,  crowned 
by  its  tower.  The  life,  the  colour  ever  changing,  on 
the  highway  across  the  Golden  Horn  is  extraordinarily 
fascinating.  Sons  of  every  race  and  nation  upon 
earth  are  freely  mingled  here.  The  Western  official  or 
the  business  man,  whose  garb  is  allowed  to  betray  no 
ease  or  originality,  here  brave  the  fierce  suns  of 
summer  clad  in  the  drab  discomfort  of  business  attire, 
with  the  Perote  or  native  of  Pera  and  Levantines  of 
European  origin  who  have  imbibed  some  longing  for 
oriental  display  without  the  requisite  taste.  Western 
ladies  unveiled.  Eastern  ladies  veiled,  the  latter  in 
many  cases  beautifully  shod  and  gloved.  Also  the 
Artist  raves  about  a  little  hand  he  has  seen  ungloved, 
such  a  dainty,  beautiful  hand,  and  according  to  his  own 
estimate  he  is  an  expert  in  such  matters.     Then  there 

55 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

are  Turks,  Western  Turks,  whose  costume  is  also 
Western,  the  fez  and  seldom-shaven  cheeks  being  the 
only  things  in  which  they  differ  from  others,  for  many 
are  fair  and  most  are  fine,  handsome  men  with  every 
sign  of  the  self-control  good  breeding  gives.  Hamals, 
the  porters,  push  their  way  with  backs  bent  double  and 
their  packs  joined  upon  the  leather  rests  provided  for 
that  purpose.  Great  men  in  carriages  drawn  by 
dashing,  spirited  Arab  steeds  roll  by  you,  a  servant  in 
gorgeous  livery  beside  the  driver  on  the  box.  Asiatics 
of  all  kinds  and  colours,  fantastically  yet  harmoniously 
clad,  move  past  with  silent,  unhurried  footsteps.  And 
then  a  batch  of  soldiers,  fine,  upstanding  fellows  in 
business-like  khaki,  march  past  on  their  way  to 
embark  for  the  Yemen,  the  Sierra  Leone  of  the 
Turkish  Empire,  for  which  men  even  volunteer  now- 
adays, since  the  bad  old  order  changed. 

But  we  have  landed  our  travellers  on  the  northern 
extremity  of  the  promontory  on  which  stands  Con- 
stantine's  ancient  city.  This  part  serves  as  a  public 
promenade,  and  here  people  take  the  air,  admire  the 
glorious  view,  and  generally  behave  like  people  do 
everywhere  else,  when  they  find  time  for  a  leisurely 
stroll,  the  only  difference  being  that  here  men  find 
time  for  one  more  often.  The  point  is  open  to  the 
sea,  for  there  is  no  further  occasion  for  the  walls  and 

56 


Seraglio  Point 

towers  that  encircled  this  the  starting-point  of  Byzantine 
history.  Here  was  the  first  settlement  of  Byzas  that 
grew  into  an  Acropolis,  walled,  and  strongly  held,  the 
heart  of  a  growing  empire.  So  we  go  inland,  crossing 
by  a  bridge  the  railway  that  discreetly  hides  its  un- 
loveliness  in  a  cutting  before  running  into  a  terminus 
that  might  have  been  picked  up  from  one  of  the 
Hanseatic  towns  and  planted  here  by  some  malignant 
fairy. 

The  road  leads  upwards  to  the  Seraglio  buildings, 
and  here  is  much  of  interest.  There  is  the  Museum 
containing  many  treasures,  among  them  two  of  won- 
drous beauty — two  sarcophagi,  one  of  which  claims  to 
have  held  the  remains  of  Alexander  the  Great,  the 
other  is  presumed  to  be  the  last  resting-place  of  one 
of  Alexander's  higher  officers,  and  is  known  as  **  Les 
Pleureuses,"  from  the  beautifully  -  sculptured  female 
figures  in  mourning  garb  that  adorn  it.  Within  these 
precincts  is  the  School  of  Art,  where  much  good, 
earnest  work  is  being  done  under  the  guidance  of 
Humdi  Bey,  to  whose  efforts  the  recovery  of  the 
sarcophagi  and  other  monuments  is  due  as  the  result 
of  excavations  in  Asia  Minor. 

A  broad  road  leads  us  with  park-like  plantations 
on  either  hand  up  from  the  sea  towards  the  Seraglio 
buildings.     These   buildings  stand  on  a   height,   the 

57 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

first   of   the   seven   hills    that   form    the    immovable 
foundations  of  the  city. 

The  Seraglio  no  longer  serves  its  original  purpose, 
the  Imperial  Museums  and  School  of  Art  have  taken 
up  a  considerable  portion  of  them,  and  others  find 
accommodation  for  troops.  Here  you  may  see  the 
stalwart  Anatolian  peasant  being  made  into  a  soldier 
after  the  German  pattern,  and  a  very  good  pattern  too. 
Bugle-calls,  reminiscent  of  those  heard  in  Germany, 
tells  the  Turkish  soldier  the  time  for  all  the  many 
duties  he  should  attend  to.  Sergeants  in  manner 
emphatic  and  teutonesque  impart  the  mysteries  of  that 
solemn,  high-stepping  march  which  takes  the  place  of 
route  marching  in  an  army  that  has  to  train  its  men 
to  reach  perfection  in  two  years'  time.  Slim-waisted 
subalterns,  whose  moustaches  follow  Imperial  precept, 
superintend  these  operations,  and  an  anxious  company 
commander  may  be  seen  in  conference  with  his  colour- 
sergeant. 

It  would  sound  invidious,  it  would  savour  of  inter- 
ference, to  wonder  which  is  the  better  use  for  the 
Seraglio  buildings,  that  of  the  present  or  the  past. 
The  Artist  doth  profess  loudly  on  this  point,  that  no 
building  can  serve  a  higher  purpose  than  that  of 
housing  in  comfort  those  who  are  taken  from  their 
homes  to  learn  how  to  defend  the  honour  of  their 

S8 


^Bfn  ii 


ao'i-iouilanoo  daijfiuT 


The  Landward  Walls  of  the  Seraglio. 

Romance  and  mystery  cling  to  the  place  and  live  in  the 
name  Seraglio.  It  is  jealously  walled  in,  the  wall  being  of 
Turkish  construction  and  comparatively  recent,  and  to  it  may 
be  seen  clinging  quaint  wooden  houses. 


manner 

of  that 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

if  not  inside  its  precincts.  So  here  again  was  the  centre 
of  the  civic  and  religious  life  of  the  city,  rising  rapidly 
to  the  zenith  of  its  power,  and  here  it  has  remained 
until  most  recent  times. 

There  were  walls  and  towers  round  the  point  to 
guard  the  city  both  against  her  enemies  and  the 
violence  of  the  elements,  and,  sooth  to  say,  it  was  the 
latter  caused  more  damage  than  the  former.  These 
had  need  to  be  constantly  repaired.  Of  the  very 
earliest  walls  no  trace  remains,  yet  they  too  had  their 
page  in  history.  Not  far  from  where  our  distinguished 
travellers  landed,  just  round  the  eastern  point  and 
looking  east,  is  Top  Kapoussi,  which  means  cannon- 
gate,  for  here  stood  a  gate  dedicated  to  St.  Barbara, 
who  is  the  patron  saint  of  gunners.  But  a  more  likely 
reason  for  the  Turks  to  retain  the  memory  of  the 
original  name  is  that  close  by  stood  a  magazine  or 
military  arsenal  when  they  conquered  the  city,  and 
may  have  stood  for  years  after.  It  seems  that  there 
was  a  yet  older  gate  at  this  spot,  a  gate  through  which 
the  Spartan  admiral  Anaxibius  entered  the  Acropolis 
when  he  escaped  from  the  city  by  boat  along  the 
Golden  Horn,  what  time  Xenophon  and  his  truculent 
Greeks  were  in  possession. 

After  Constantine  had  led  his  people,  or  at  least 
those  under  his  immediate  influence,  into  the  fold  of 

60 


Seraglio  Point 

the  Christian  community,  many  churches  sprang  up 
about  this  northern  extremity  of  the  promontory. 
(There  are,  no  doubt,  those  who  will  differ  from  the 
Author  on  the  subject  of  Constantine's  conversion, 
who  may  say  that  his  people  led  Constantine  to  adopt 
Christianity,  and  that  reasons  of  policy  rather  than 
the  conviction  born  of  a  sudden  inspiration  guided 
him,  but  the  Artist  will  on  no  account  allow  such  a 
prosaic  version.)  Five  churches  stood  about  here,  one 
dedicated  to  St.  Barbara,  as  we  have  seen,  another  to 
St.  Demetrius,  a  third  to  St.  Saviour,  yet  another  to 
St.  Lazarus,  and  a  fifth  one  built  to  St.  George  on  the 
highest  ground  available  just  there,  according  to  custom, 
for  in  former  times  all  churches  dedicated  to  the  warrior's 
patron  saint  were  built  on  higher  ground,  as  if  to  give 
the  saint  an  opportunity  of  keeping  a  good  look-out 
from  his  sanctuary.  This  church  gave  to  the  Sea  of 
Marmora  its  mediaeval  name  of  Braz  St.  George. 

There  were  evidently  other  buildings  in  connection 
with  St.  George's  Church,  a  monastic  institution  most 
probably,  for  here  under  the  name  of  Joasaph  the 
Emperor  John  Cantacuzene  dwelt  in  seclusion  after 
his  abdication  until  he  withdrew  altogether  from  among 
his  former  subjects  to  a  monastery  on  Mount  Athos. 
Another  great  feature  of  this  neighbourhood  was  its 
holy  well,  which  may  be  springing  still,  though  for 

6i 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

this  the  Author  cannot  vouch,  as  he  has  not  seen  it. 
The  Church  of  St.  Saviour  guarded  this  holy  spring — 
its  water  had  healing  qualities,  and  pilgrimages  were 
made  to  it  on  the  Festival  of  the  Transfiguration. 

The  life  of  the  capital  of  an  empire  stirred  the 
precinct  of  what  is  now  the  Seraglio  enclosure  and  the 
vicinity  outside  it  for  close  on  twenty  centuries.  We 
have  seen  the  city  rise  under  the  fostering  care  of 
Byzas  its  founder,  and  followed  those  dim  paths  of 
remotest  history  when  the  world  was  young,  though 
no  doubt  the  sad  young  cynics  of  the  period  thought 
it  as  old  and  foredone  as  they  do  to-day.  Then  came 
the  glorious  epoch  of  Constantine  and  his  successors — 
glorious  indeed  in  the  new  light  of  Christianity,  but  in 
that  name  much  evil  was  done,  and  by  it  murder  and 
violence  and  civil  war  were  held  to  be  excused.  But 
through  it  all  the  city,  this  seat  of  empire,  exhibited  a 
most  astounding  elasticity  and  power  of  recovery.  True 
the  Palace  of  Caesar  built  by  Constantine  was  not  within 
the  precincts  enclosed  by  the  Seraglio  walls  of  to-day, 
but  the  brain  of  the  empire  held  its  sway  hard  by  here, 
and  its  tumultuous  heart  beat  everywhere  among  the 
ruins  and  decay  that  now  mark  the  site  of  palaces. 

Constantine  in  his  glory  and  genius  passes,  and 
others  follow  him  in  an  unbroken  sequence,  some  good, 
many  bad,   all    human,  and  thus  surrounded  by  the 

62 


Seraglio  Point 

romance  that  envelops  those  that  played  their  part 
in  history  and  did  their  share  in  making  it.  A  noble 
sequence  taking  them  all  in  all  from  Constantine,  who 
reigned  from  306  to  337,  then  his  successors  down  to 
the  last  emperor,  another  Constantine  of  the  house  of 
Palaeologus,  twelfth  of  the  name  who  fell  before  his  city 
walls  to  be  succeeded  by  a  conqueror  of  the  house  of 
Ottoman,  the  house  that  has  filled  the  throne  of  the 
Eastern  Empire  until  to-day. 

If  we  take  but  a  few  of  this  unbroken  line  of 
sovereigns,  more  than  one  hundred  altogether,  such 
names  stand  out  in  the  world's  history  as  Valens, 
whose  aqueduct  still  stands  as  a  monument  to  per- 
petuate his  name.  Then  Theodosius  II,  whose  master 
mind  gave  to  the  city  its  furthest  limit  in  those  proud 
walls  that  have  encircled  it  since  the  beginning  of  his 
reign,  and  still  stand  as  testimony  to  the  genius  of 
man.  Justinian  the  Great,  too,  first  of  that  name  of 
whom  we  must  say  more  when  we  come  to  the  ruins 
of  the  lordly  palace  he  inhabited.  Leo  V  the  Armenian 
who  entered  the  city  as  a  poor  groom,  they  say,  but 
served  his  Imperial  master,  Michael  I  the  Drunkard, 
so  well  that  he  then  ascended  his  throne  and  restored 
the  expelled  Government  of  the  Empire.  And  there 
are  many  others  of  whom  mention  will  be  made  else- 
where  in    connection  with  fortifications   and    palaces 

63 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

that  were  erected  far  beyond  the  first  narrow  limits 
of  the  city  that  Byzas  had  founded  and  the  great 
Constantine  made  his  own. 

About  this  neighbourhood  centred  the  life  of  the 
city ;  there  was  a  broad  esplanade  near  where  the 
Church  of  St.  Lazarus  stood,  down  by  the  Sea  of 
Marmora,  its  site  probably  not  far  from  the  foot  of 
the  Seraglio  kitchens.  This  esplanade  was  called  the 
Atrium  of  Justinian  the  Great,  for  it  was  his  creation. 
And  a  fair  place  it  was,  all  built  of  white  marble. 
Here  the  good  citizens  might  walk  and  breathe  the 
soft  air,  looking  out  towards  the  Prince's  Islands  and 
the  coast  of  Asia,  across  the  Sea  of  Marmora,  reflecting 
in  its  translucent  depths  the  glorious  colours  of  an 
Eastern  sunset.  And  here  they  walked  and  talked, 
and  no  doubt  discussed  all  subjects  upon  earth, 
religion,  politics,  those  chief  incentives  to  resultless 
argument,  and  the  news,  with  all  its  variations,  which 
were  nothing  uncommon  even  in  the  days  before  a 
daily  paper  first  appeared.  How  portly  burghers 
must  have  smiled  with  satisfaction  at  the  sight  of 
bellying  sails  that  drove  their  galleys  back  from  the 
shores  of  many  countries  to  the  great  market. 

Or  a  racing  craft  under  full  sail  with  all  its  rows 
of  glittering  oars  rising  and  dipping  in  strict  accord 
would  round  the  point  into  the  Golden  Horn,  leaving 

64 


Seraglio  Point 

the  gazers  in  the  Atrium  the  prey  to  many  conjectures, 
until  a  gentle  sound  coming  from  the  north,  round  by 
the  Senate,  growing  to  a  roar  conveyed  the  news  of 
some  great  victory. 

Perhaps  an  anxious  heart  of  mother,  wife  or  sister 
would  beat  against  the  coping  of  the  Atrium,  as  tearful 
eyes  followed  the  swift  sails  of  departing  war  fleets 
that  pressed  onward  into  the  morning.  And  the  sun 
would  rise  to  arouse  the  golden  glories  of  the  city,  and 
yet  leave  that  heart  unlightened. 

Here,  too,  good  folk  would  meet  to  discuss  the 
pomp  and  splendour  of  the  escort  that  had  brought 
the  Emperor's  bride-elect  to  the  sea-gate  of  Eugenius 
down  by  the  Golden  Horn.  How  Caesar  there  had 
met  her  with  great  pomp  and  ceremony,  and  had  him- 
self invested  her  with  the  insignia  of  her  exalted  rank. 
The  talk  would  then  go  on  to  the  high  doings  at  the 
palace,  and  all  those  good  things  that  had  been  brought 
together  from  every  quarter  of  the  earth  for  the 
delectation  of  the  wedding  guests.  When  lowering 
clouds  obscured  the  brightness  of  the  sun  of  Caesar 
what  whisperings,  what  anxious  glances  out  to  sea! 
Yes,  and  perhaps  what  black  looks  when  an  alliance 
was  proposed,  and  indeed  consummated,  between  a 
princess  of  their  royal  house  and  the  polygamist  ruler 
of  their  enemies  the  Turks,  Amurath  I. 
E  65 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

What  troublous  times  and  discontents  when  every 
messenger  brought  news  of  fresh  disaster,  of  yet  another 
portion  of  the  Empire  torn  from  its  enfeebled  grasp. 
What  grumbling  at  the  supineness  of  the  Christian  world 
that  looked  on  with  apathy  when  it  could  find  the  time 
to  spare  from  its  own  internal  quarrels,  while  the  most 
Eastern  bulwark  of  the  faith  was  being  hard  pressed 
by  those  who  carried  Islam  with  fire  and  sword  wher- 
ever they  went.  And  then  a  ray  of  hope  when  as  a 
last  resource  John  VI  Palaeologus  betook  himself  to 
Rome  to  implore  the  Pope  to  exert  his  influence  on 
behalf  of  his  expiring  fortunes,  and  to  stir  up  another 
crusade  among  the  nations  of  the  West.  Though  at 
the  same  time  the  Emperor  sent  one  of  his  sons  to 
serve  in  the  Turkish  army  and  learn  those  secrets  of 
success  which  that  host  alone  seemed  to  know. 

Intrigue  flourished  at  Constantinople  more  perhaps 
than  anywhere,  unless  it  be  in  Rome,  and  we  well 
imagine  how  rumours  of  such  matters  filtered  down 
among  the  populace,  giving  rise  to  conjecture  and  wild, 
inaccurate  statements,  the  food  that  intrigue  fattens  on, 
rumour  also  of  private  feuds  and  family  dissensions  not 
only  among  nobles  and  leaders  of  the  State,  but  among 
its  lowliest  citizens.  So  when  John  Palaeologus 
betrayed  his  weakness  and  the  w^eakness  of  his 
Empire,  many  among  those  who  walked  the  Atrium 

66 


Seraglio  Point 

of  an  evening  might  search  their  minds  for  some  one 
who  could  save  them  from  the  threatening  devasta- 
tion, and  would  gladly  turn  to  any  who  promised  to 
strengthen  the  shaky  edifice  and  re-establish  that  sense 
of  security  without  which  all  private  enterprise  was 
crippled.  F^or  here,  as  in  the  time  before  Saxon 
England  fell  to  the  Duke  of  Normandy,  the  con- 
queror's influence  permeated,  and  attachments  were 
formed  between  the  highest  of  both  nations. 

So  Andronicus,  another  son  of  John  Palaeologus, 
entered  into  friendship  with  Saoudji,  one  of  the  sons 
of  Amurath.  Saoudji  was  jealous  of  the  favour  shown 
to  Bajazet,  his  brother,  and  resented  the  latter's  popu- 
larity— well  deserved  too,  for  he  was  valiant  and 
successful  in  the  field,  and  through  the  rapidity  and 
vigour  of  his  charges  acquired  the  epithet  of  Yilderim, 
or  Lightning. 

So  while  Amurath  was  away  in  Asia,  Saoudji  and 
Andronicus,  with  the  assistance  of  a  band  of  Greek 
nobles  and  retainers,  organized  a  combined  revolt 
against  the  Byzantine  and  Turkish  Governments. 
Amurath  got  tidings  of  this,  and  forthwith  recrossed 
the  Hellespont. 

Suspecting  Palaeologus  of  complicity,  Amurath 
compelled  him  to  join  in  his  proceedings  to  quell  the 
revolt.  The  rebel  forces  were  encamped  near  the 
E  2  67 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

town  of  Apicidion,  and  Amurath  marched  against 
them. 

Unattended  and  under  cover  of  night  he  rode  to 
the  entrenchments  of  their  camp  and  called  aloud  to 
the  Turkish  insurgents,  commanding  them  to  return 
to  their  allegiance,  promising  a  general  amnesty.  All 
these  on  hearing  the  familiar  voice  deserted  their  new 
leader  and  their  Byzantine  allies,  and  rejoined  the 
forces  of  Amurath.  Saoudji  and  Andronicus  with  his 
Greek  followers  were  speedily  taken.  Saoudji  was 
brought  before  his  father,  who  commanded  first  that 
his  eyes  should  be  put  out  as  unworthy  to  look  his 
last  upon  the  day,  and  then  that  he  should  be  slain. 
The  Greek  insurgents  were  tied  together  and  flung 
two  or  three  at  a  time  into  the  Maritza,  while  Amurath 
sat  by  until  the  last  was  drowned.  The  fathers  of 
some  of  the  rebels  were  ordered  to  slay  their  children 
before  him ;  those  who  refused  were  themselves 
destroyed.  Amurath  ended  by  sending  Andronicus 
in  fetters  to  his  father,  commanding  him  to  deal  with 
him  even  as  he  had  dealt  with  his  own. 

And  after  all  the  suppliant  Emperor's  journey  to 
Rome  failed  to  arouse  the  Western  nations  to  under- 
take a  new  crusade.  All  that  was  achieved  was  a 
confederacy  to  resist  the  future  progress  of  the  Otto- 
man power,   and  if  possible   to  dispossess    it   of  its 

68 


Seraglio  Point 

European  territories.  The  Sclavonic  nations,  at  the 
confines  of  whose  territories  the  Turks  had  arrived, 
joined  together  at  the  instigation  of  Servia.  Servians, 
then  the  best  troops  and  the  most  formidable  the  Turks 
had  met  in  Europe,  Bosnians,  Albanians  and  Bul- 
garians, and  with  them  Magyars  and  men  from 
Wallachia  took  the  field.  Though  at  times  success- 
ful, the  alliance  failed  eventually  in  its  purpose,  and 
not  until  most  recent  times  have  those  nations  emerged 
from  Turkish  suzerainty  to  national  independence. 

The  Battle  of  Kossova  broke  the  power  of  the 
Sclavonic  race  in  the  Balkans  and  led  to  their  dis- 
appearance from  the  arena  of  the  polity  of  nations  for 
many  centuries.  A  fierce  fight  it  was  that  raged  all 
day  with  varying  fortunes  and  glorious  display  of 
chivalry  and  knightly  daring,  where  Bajazet  the 
Lightning  struck  swift  and  sure,  though  a  Christian 
noble  ended  the  conqueror's  career  when  the  fortunes 
of  the  day  had  just  turned  in  his  favour. 

It  happened  thus,  one  Milosh  Kabilovitch  galloped 
forth  as  if  a  deserter  from  the  Servian  ranks  and 
sought  the  royal  presence  of  Amurath.  He  alleged 
important  intelligence  concerning  the  plans  of  the 
allies.  Kneeling  before  Amurath,  he  suddenly  leapt 
up  and  by  one  stroke  buried  his  dagger  in  the 
monarch's  heart.     By  a  miraculous  exercise  of  strength 

69 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

he  beat  off  all  the  attendants  who  surrounded  him 
again  and  again,  but  finally  fell  under  the  sabres  of 
the  Janissaries  just  as  he  had  reached  the  spot  where 
he  had  left  his  horse.  Amurath  survived  but  to  the 
close  of  the  battle.  His  last  act  was  to  order  the 
death  of  the  captured  Lazarus,  king  of  Servia,  who 
had  commanded  the  centre  of  the  Christian  force,  and 
who,  standing  in  chains,  regaled  the  dying  eyes  of  his 
conqueror. 

News  of  this  momentous  happening  reached  Con- 
stantinople, and  we  can  guess  that  the  faces  of  those 
who  frequented  the  Atrium  grew  gloomier.  Was 
there  no  one  who  could  help  ?  The  horns  of  the 
Crescent  were  closing  in  on  the  City  of  Constantine,  the 
Empire  was  shorn  of  most  of  its  former  glory  and  its 
vast  possessions.  Little  but  the  city  and  its  immediate 
surroundings  were  left  unsubdued,  all  escape  from  the 
conquering  Turk  seemed  hopeless.  And  then  what 
were  their  prospects  ?  to  be  conquered,  and  by  such 
ruthless  hands !  The  death  of  Saoudji  may  have  been 
reckoned  an  act  of  justice,  but  rumours  came  to  them, 
and  proved  true,  of  other  deeds  more  cruel,  of  how 
Bajazet  ascended  the  throne,  like  Richmond  on  Bos- 
worth  field,  of  how  his  brother  Yakoub,  who  had  fought 
valiantly  in  the  Battle  of  Kossova,  and  had  contributed 
largely  to  its  success,  was  summoned  to  the  regal  tent 

70 


Seraglio  Point 

and  there  saw  his  father's  body,  the  first  intimation  of 
his  death.  How  then  and  there  in  the  presence  of 
that  body  Bajazet  had  immediately  ordered  his 
sorrowing  brother  to  be  strangled.  This  act  was  done, 
says  Seaddedin,  the  Turkish  historian,  in  conformity 
with  the  precept  of  the  Koran,  "  Disturbance  is  worse 
than  murder."  Surely  a  gloomy  outlook  for  the 
watchers  on  the  wall. 

But  how  awful  would  be  the  fate  of  their  city  which 
had  so  long  resisted  the  sacred  Scimitar  of  Ottoman  ! 
What  mercy  could  they  expect  ?  Help  there  was 
none,  and  Bajazet  was  making  preparations  to  submit 
Constantinople  to  yet  another  siege.  But  he  was 
diverted  by  hostilities  on  his  western  frontier,  and  hope 
revived  again  in  the  hearts  of  those  that  looked  over 
the  city  walls  across  the  Sea  of  Marmora.  For  the 
Christian  natives  of  the  West  had  at  last  begun  to 
realize  the  danger  threatening  them  from  the  East. 
They  were  moved  not  by  the  recommendation  of  a 
heretic  Greek  emperor,  but  urged  by  the  supplications 
of  the  King  of  Hungary,  a  spiritual  vassal  of  the 
Roman  See.  Pope  Boniface  IX  proclaimed  a  crusade 
against  the  Turks,  and  promised  plenary  indulgence  to 
those  who  should  engage  in  an  expedition  for  the 
defence  of  Hungary,  and  the  neighbouring  Catholic 
States. 

71 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

There  were  fewer  sinners  in  need  of  indulgence  in 
those  days  than  there  are  now  ;  but  the  population  of 
Europe  was  proportionately  smaller.  Yet  many  rallied 
to  the  banners  of  Philip  of  Artois ;  Comted'Eu,  Constable 
of  France;  Vienne,  Admiral  ;  and  Bourcicault,  Marshal 
of  France.  The  Count  of  Hohenzollern,  Grand 
Prince  of  the  Teutonic  order,  led  a  force  of  Germans  ; 
the  Knights  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem,  led  by  their 
Grand  Master  Naillac,  joined  the  force  of  some  120,000 
allies,  all,  as  Froissart  says,  *'  of  tried  courage  and 
enterprise."  Their  aim  was  to  break  the  power  of 
Bajazet  in  Hungary,  and  when  this  was  done  to 
advance  on  Constantinople,  cross  the  Hellespont,  enter 
Syria,  gain  the  Holy  Land,  and  deliver  Jerusalem 
with  its  Holy  Sepulchre  from  the  hands  of  infidels. 

How  anxiously  those  citizens  of  Constantinople 
must  have  longed  for  news  of  the  enterprise,  how  hope 
revived  as  the  fall  of  Widdin,  Orsova,  and  Raco  were 
reported.  What  a  heavy  time  of  waiting  it  must  have 
been  while  the  Christian  host  lay  before  Nicopolis. 
Still  hope  held  on,  for  Bajazet  was  in  Asia,  and  was 
never  expected  back.  But  suddenly  he  appeared 
within  six  leagues  of  the  Crusaders'  camp.  The  news 
was  brought  in  by  foragers,  and  the  impetuous  French 
knights,  sitting  at  their  evening  meal,  at  once  buckled 
on  their  arms,  and  demanded  to  be  led   against  the 

72 


Seraglio  Point 

foes.  Against  the  advice  of  Sigismund  of  Hungary 
the  French  charged  impetuously.  They  charged  and 
broke  the  ranks  of  the  Akindgi,  the  advanced  guard  of 
the  Janissaries  and  of  the  heavy  regular  cavalry,  and 
pressed  on  till  they  encountered  the  main  body  of  the 
Turks  under  the  command  of  the  Sultan  himself. 
Meanwhile  the  disordered  ranks  of  the  Akindgi  and 
Janissaries  left  behind,  reformed  and  attacked  the 
French  in  their  rear.  All  gallantry  was  unavailing — 
they  were  almost  all  killed  or  taken.  The  German 
knights  fell  around  their  sacred  banners.  The  day 
was  lost ;  of  the  ten  thousand  prisoners  taken,  nearly 
all  were  massacred  on  the  following  day  by  Bajazet, 
who  sat  out  from  dawn  till  evening  watching,  according 
to  the  custom  of  his  race,  the  gratifying  spectacle  of 
slaughter. 

This  dashed  the  hopes  of  the  Greek  Christians,  and 
they  began  to  prepare  for  the  last  hours  of  their 
Imperial  City.  But  Bajazet  was  called  away  to  his 
Eastern  Asiatic  frontier,  where  the  Mongols  were 
making  fierce  inroads  on  his  territory,  under  their 
famous  leader  Tamerlane.  A  respite  was  thus  granted 
while  thus  occupied,  for  the  army  of  Bajazet  was 
annihilated  at  Angora,  and  he  himself  was  slain.  No 
doubt  the  news  of  Bajazet's  defeat  and  death  was 
welcome  to  those  who  took  their  walks  on  the  Atrium, 

72> 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

no  doubt  many  a  good  bargain  was  concluded  then 
and  there  in  a  friendly  way,  when  the  news  from  Asia 
promised  better  security,  and  at  least  a  postponement 
of  the  Eastern  terror.  And  indeed  the  Ottoman 
power  was  prostrate  for  awhile  after  the  Battle  of 
Angora,  and  to  make  matters  worse  the  sons  of 
Bajazet  quarrelled  about  the  succession.  In  the  chaos 
that  ensued  even  the  Greek  Empire  profited  directly, 
for  several  portions  of  lost  property  were  recovered, 
and  no  doubt  hopes  ran  high  that  a  turning-point  in 
its  fortunes  had  arrived,  that  the  dark  clouds  of  Eastern 
predominance  so  long  threatening  were  to  be  finally 
dispelled,  and  that  the  sun  of  Rome  would  shine  again 
over  Byzantium. 

But  the  old  terror  revived  again,  though  not 
perhaps  to  the  same  extent.  Certainly,  ere  long  the 
Turks  were  knocking  at  the  city  gates  again.  This 
time  under  Musa,  a  son  of  Bajazet,  who  on  being 
released  from  captivity  in  Tamerlane's  tents,  joined  in 
the  fray  of  brothers,  and  laid  siege  to  Constantinople, 
because  the  emperor  supported  the  claims  of  the  eldest 
brother  Solyman,  who  had  taken  unto  himself  the 
Sultanate  of  his  father's  European  possession,  but  had 
been  overcome  and  slain  by  Mahomed  the  younger 
son. 

Manuel  II  Palaeologus,  Greek  emperor,  besought 

74 


Seraglio  Point 

the  protection  of  Mahomed,  and  for  a  time  a  Turkish 
army  actually  garrisoned  the  Castle  of  Caesar.  But 
Mahomed  had  to  take  his  troops  back  to  Asia.  There 
he  overcame  and  slew  his  brother  Musa,  and  then,  all 
rival  claimants  having  been  removed,  became  Sultan 
of  his  father's  dominions. 

But  a  few  years  longer  was  the  respite  granted  to 
the  failing  power  of  Byzantium.  John  VII  Palaeologus 
retained  some  semblance  of  Imperial  dignity  ;  but  under 
his  successor,  a  bearer  of  Constantine's  illustrious 
name,  the  death-knell  sounded  alike  to  the  house  of 
Palaeologus  and  to  the  Roman  Empire  of  the  East. 
The  curtain  rang  down  on  what  may  be  called  the 
second  act  of  the  drama  of  Byzantium — the  reign  of 
the  Christian  emperors.  The  curtain  rose  again  on 
a  scene  strewn  with  ruins  of  Imperial  splendour,  on 
heaps  of  slain,  the  victims  of  the  conqueror's  lust  of 
blood,  and  the  succession  of  emperors  in  the  Imperial 
City  of  the  East  was  restored  by  one  of  the  greatest 
and  perhaps  the  most  cruel  of  the  able  sons  of 
Othman. 

Mahomed  II  the  Conqueror  broke  the  proud  record 
of  those  stout  walls  of  Constantinople,  and  made  the 
place  his  own.  The  ancient  capital  of  the  Ottomans, 
Broussa,  and  the  more  recent  one,  Adrianople,  receded 
into  the  background  ;  the  former  to  become  a  relic  of 

75 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

satisfied  ambitions,  treated  with  the  respect  usually 
meted  out  to  a  stepping-stone,  the  latter  a  mere  base 
for  frontier  defence.  Mahomed  transformed  all  the 
life  of  his  nation,  and  centred  it  in  the  City  of  Con- 
stantine,  choosing  that  part  of  it  where  Byzas  first 
landed,  the  point  of  the  promontory.  For  here  he 
separated  a  space  of  eight  furlongs  from  the  point  to 
the  triangle  and  built  his  Seraglio. 

And  here  the  history  of  Constantinople  continued 
its  course  with  just  that  break  of  a  few  days  when 
ownership  was  forcibly  transferred.  Nor  did  the 
religious  life  of  the  city  suffer  any  lengthy  interruption. 
True,  the  monasteries  disappeared,  the  Cross  fell  from 
the  Christian  churches,  the  Crescent  added  minarets, 
and  due  ceremony  made  them  into  mosques.  But 
who  can  say  that  the  religious  life  had  ceased  with  the 
alteration  in  creed  and  dogma.  And  the  Turks  with 
some  exceptions,  usually  political,  have  always  respected 
the  faith  of  others. 

It  must  have  been  one  of  the  most  marvellous  and 
astounding  scenes  ever  witnessed  by  mortal  eyes  that 
took  place  not  long  after  the  city  fell,  and  long  before 
the  sights  and  signs  of  the  desolation  there  wrought 
had  been  removed.  The  Greek  remnant  had  gathered 
together  and  returned  in  crowds  as  soon  as  they  had 
sufficiently  been  assured  of  their  lives,  their  liberties, 

76 


Seraglio  Point 

and  the  free  exercise  of  their  religion.  To  solemnize 
this  fast  the  Sultan  held  an  investiture  on  old  Byzan- 
tium lines,  with  all  the  pomp  and  traditional  splendour 
of  the  ceremony,  an  investiture  of  the  Patriarch  of 
Greek  Orthodoxy.  With  his  own  hand  the  Conqueror 
delivered  into  the  hands  of  Gennodius  the  crosier  or 
pastoral  staff,  the  symbol  of  his  ecclesiastical  office. 
His  Holiness  was  then  conducted  to  the  Gate  of  the 
Seraglio,  presented  with  a  horse  richly  caparisoned, 
and  led  by  viziers  and  pashas  to  the  palace  allotted  for 
his  residence. 

And  this  happened  within  the  Seraglio  walls ! 
Surely  an  astounding  event.  The  successor  to  the 
throne  and  empire  of  the  Caesars,  the  conqueror  whose 
hands  were  red  with  the  blood  of  massacred  Christians, 
the  victorious  leader  of  that  fanatic  race  whose  life  is 
more  influenced  by  their  creed  than  that  of  perhaps 
any  other  human  community,  himself  approved  the 
chosen  Patriarch,  the  head  of  his  new  subjects'  religion, 
and  with  his  own  hands  elevated  him  to  that  high 
office.  Thus  from  the  centre  of  Constantine's  city  in 
its  new  aspect  of  purely  oriental  colouring,  the  Seraglio, 
the  latticed  prison  of  those  whose  privilege  it  is  to 
give  birth  to  the  sons  of  Islam,  new  life  was  given  to 
Greek  Orthodoxy  by  him  whose  sword  had  hitherto 
been  raised  against  it. 

n 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

So  the  life  of  the  old  city,  the  heart  of  a  new 
empire  continued,  and  one  ruler  followed  another,  and 
like  those  of  the  second  act,  some  were  good,  others 
bad,  but  none  wholly  indifferent.  Another  Bajazet 
followed  on  Mahomed  the  Conqueror  and  carried  on 
the  victorious  traditions  of  his  house.  Mahomed  died 
suddenly  among  his  soldiers,  leaving  two  sons,  who 
contested  for  the  sovereignty,  as  has  so  often  happened 
in  the  history  of  empires  raised  by  the  hand  of  one 
strong  man.  Zizimes,  the  younger  son,  suggested  a 
division  of  the  empire,  Bajazet  to  rule  over  Roumelia, 
Zizimes  to  govern  Anatolia  with  the  Hellespont  as 
boundary  between  their  realms.  But  Bajazet  would 
none  of  it.  "  The  Empire  is  a  bride  whose  favours 
cannot  be  shared,"  he  said,  and  Zizimes  was  defeated 
and  had  to  seek  refuge  at  the  Courts  of  other  rulers, 
some  Christian,  but  none  of  them  favourable  to  the 
furtherance  of  his  hopes.  His  death  was  caused  by 
poison,  administered  by  a  servant  of  the  Pope,  Alex- 
ander Borgia,  who  thereby  gained  a  reward  of  300,000 
ducats  from  the  brother  Bajazet,  the  sum  that  Borgia 
had  agreed  to  for  the  deed,  and  would  probably  have 
earned  himself  had  not  Charles  VHI  of  France  invaded 
Italy  and  carried  off  Zizimes  from  the  guardianship  of 
the  Roman  Pontiff. 

And  the  romantic  history  of  this  chosen  spot  of 

78 


Seraglio  Point 

Byzas  continues  within  the  walls  of  the  Seraglio,  one 
Sultan  following  another  and  making  his  throne  secure 
by  murdering  others  that  stood  near  it.  Thus  did 
Selim  I  to  his  brethren.  He  was  the  youngest,  the 
ablest  and  most  daring  of  the  sons  of  Bajazet,  and  in 
his  father's  lifetime  intrigued  against  him  for  possession 
of  the  throne.  His  efforts  proved  successful.  A  rabble 
of  soldiers  and  citizens  surrounded  the  Seraglio  and 
demanded  audience  of  the  Sultan.  "What  is  your 
desire?"  inquired  Bajazet.  **Our  Padishah  is  old 
and  sickly,  and  we  will  that  Selim  shall  be  our  Sultan." 
So  Bajazet  abdicated,  to  die  a  few  days  afterwards, 
and  Selim  reigned  in  his  stead. 

Having  secured  the  throne  Selim  bent  his  mind 
on  conquest  and  the  suppression  of  schism  among  the 
followers  of  the  Prophets.  The  Shiites  repudiated 
the  claim  to  the  caliphate  of  Mahomed's  immediate 
successors,  Abu-Dekr,  Omar  and  Othman.  So  for 
reasons  probably  as  much  political  as  religious,  Selim 
proclaimed  himself  champion  of  Orthodoxy,  and  sullied 
his  reign  by  the  St.  Bartholomew  of  Ottoman  history. 
In  all  there  were  70,000  of  his  subjects  who  held  to 
the  Shii  doctrine  within  the  Ottoman  dominion  in 
Europe  and  Asia,  40,000  of  these  were  massacred  and 
30,000  sentenced  to  perpetual  imprisonment.  And 
Selim  became  Caliph  of  the  Moslem  faith. 

79 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

Then  follows  one  whose  name  looms  large  In 
history,  Solyman  I  the  Great,  his  title  nobly  earned 
not  only  by  valour  in  the  field,  but  by  wisdom  in  the 
council — and  he  was  great  among  a  galaxy  of  great 
Christian  sovereigns,  Charles  V,  Francis  I,  Henry  VIII 
and  Pope  Leo  X.  The  world  was  then  entering  on 
modern  times,  and  many  changes  were  in  progress. 
But  who  will  deny  to  this  the  first  inception  of  the 
modern  spirit,  the  glamour  of  Romance.  The  art  and 
practice  of  war  was  undergoing  a  change,  the  arts  of 
peace  were  reviving.  Holbein  was  making  illustrious 
sovereigns  yet  more  illustrious  by  his  cunning  hand, 
and  the  bold  spirits  of  a  new  Europe  found  yet  newer 
countries  across  the  seas. 

The  name  of  Solyman  conjures  up  visions  of  the 
glowing  glory  of  the  Eastern  Empire,  of  the  force  and 
vigour  of  Islam,  for  Selim  had  enjoined  upon  his  son 
to  carry  war  into  the  countries  that  professed  the  faith 
of  the  Cross.  Through  this  monarch's  enterprise  was 
Romance  enriched  by  the  story  of  his  wars,  as  when 
against  Hungary  he  penetrated  even  as  far  as  Vienna, 
which  he  besieged,  what  time  the  Poles  came  stoutly 
to  the  help  of  Europe,  to  be  rewarded  later  in  history 
by  the  partition  of  Poland  and  a  period  of  oppression 
which  is  not  yet  ended.  With  him  we  connect  another 
glorious  name,  who  brought  to  his  master,  victorious 

80 


Seraglio  Point 

on  land,  new  laurels  won  at  sea,  Barbarossa,  Solyman's 
great  admiral. 

Yet  another  name  that  rings  out  from  within  the 
walls  of  the  Seraglio,  and  is  known  by  all  who  love 
Romance,  is  that  of  Roxalana.  Solyman's  favourite 
Sultana  in  the  earlier  part  of  his  reign  had  been  a 
beautiful  Circassian.  Her  son  Mustapha  inherited  his 
mother's  beauty,  and  was  a  pattern  of  manly  and 
chivalrous  excellence. 

But  the  Circassian  Sultana  lost  the  Imperial  favour. 
A  lovely  Russian  girl,  Khourrem  ("  The  joyous  one"), 
enkindled  anew  the  passion  of  love  in  the  Sultan's 
breast.  She  w^as  a  slave,  she  obtained  her  freedom 
from  her  royal  lover  and  induced  him  to  wed  her. 
Khourrem,  or  as  the  Christians  called  her  "  Roxalana  " 
became  Sultana.  Her  aims  and  ambition  was  to 
forward  the  chances  of  her  own  children,  and  to  that 
end  Mustapha  had  to  be  removed.  She  ruled  Solyman 
to  the  day  of  her  death,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of 
bringing  about  the  murder  of  Mustapha  before  she 
died.  He  was  appointed  Governor  of  Carmania,  and 
so  skilfully  did  Roxalana  work  upon  Solyman  that  he 
was  at  last  induced  to  believe  that  Mustapha  was 
plotting  to  usurp  the  throne.  Mustapha  was  ordered 
to  enter  the  Sultan's  presence  alone,  and  Solyman 
looking  on  from  an  inner  chamber  saw  seven  mute 
F  81 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

executioners  carry  out  his  command  to  strangle  his 
son  with  the  bowstring. 

And  so  the  Romance  that  sheds  a  glamour  over  the 
history  enacted  within  the  Seraglio  walls  flows  on, 
while  fortune  favours  those  who  merit  it,  and  wrong- 
doing is  often  punished  by  those  drastic  measures  to 
which  these  grey  embattlements  had  long  become 
accustomed.  Roxalana  herself  was  buried  in  all  due 
state  not  a  stone's  throw  from  the  spot  where  her 
sovereign  lord  afterwards  found  his  rest.  But  in  the 
two  chambers  where  they  lie  you  will  notice  a  differ- 
ence. To  enter  that  of  Solyman  you  must  take  off 
your  shoes,  the  place  is  holy  ground — the  grave  of  a 
warrior  who  is  almost  a  saint.  You  may,  however, 
pass  to  the  chamber  of  the  "Joyous  one  "  shod  as  you 
are.     She  has  no  soul,  that  makes  all  the  difference. 

They  tell  of  Selim,  Solyman's  successor,  Roxalana  s 
son,  who  broke  the  Law  of  the  Prophet  and  died  drunk  ; 
Othman  II,  of  the  revolt  of  the  Janissaries  and  their 
choice  of  Sultan — until  the  seat  of  Government  was 
moved  from  the  place  where  Byzas  first  made  his 
choice  and  Constantlne  and  his  successors  reigned, 
until  they  in  due  time  gave  way  to  those  of  the  house 
of  Ottoman. 

But  is  the  present  state  of  this  Seraglio  less 
romantic   than    in    those    days    of  fierce   passion    un- 

82 


Seraglio  Point 

trammelled  and  only  expressed  in  blood  ?  The  head 
priest,  the  Sheik-ul-Islam,  has  decreed  that  there  is 
no  infringement  of  the  Laws  of  Islam  in  its  sons 
expressing  higher  thoughts  by  means  artistic.  And 
so  the  life  of  the  Seraglio  goes  on,  peaceful,  more 
beautiful,  and  just  as  much  Romance  as  heretofore. 


F  2  83 


CHAPTER    IV 

SERAGLIO  POINT  {continued) 

Seraglio  Point  itself,  or  rather  the  extreme  end  of 
it  at  least,  is  now  open  to  the  sea.  It  was  not  always 
so,  and  is  only  safe  now  that  long-range  guns  have 
completely  revolutionized  the  methods  of  defence. 

Where  our  travellers  alighted  was  a  wall  flanked 
by  strong  towers,  i88  in  all,  says  Bondelmontius ;  this 
extended  all  along  the  coast  by  the  Sea  of  Marmora, 
until  it  joined  the  angle  where  the  land-walls  that  cut 
right  across  the  peninsula  commence.  Remains,  and 
fine  remains,  of  their  sea-wall  are  still  here,  at  one 
place  dipping  their  stout  foundations  into  the  sea,  at 
others  further  inland  on  spots  which  were  in  former 
times  the  harbour. 

No  doubt  the  first  wall  here  was  built  by  Byzas, 
but  it  has  vanished  and  made  room  for  the  ramparts 
which  Constantine  the  Great  erected  to  defend  his 
new  capital.  What  yet  remains  is  full  of  interest  and 
has  a  beauty  of  its  own. 

When   looking   towards  the  city  from    Modar   or 

84 


Seraglio   Point 

Kadikeui  on  the  Asiatic  side,  the  city  seems  to  arise 
from  out  a  girdle  of  embattled  walls,  to  lose  itself  in 
a  forest  of  slender  minarets.  On  approaching  these 
walls  their  interest  increases,  for  here  are  arches  built 
up  and  strange  inscriptions,  gateways  that  each  con- 
tribute many  pages  to  history.  Theodosius  II  and  his 
praefect  Constantius  have  here  left  records  of  their 
rule ;  the  Emperor  Theophilus  is  mentioned  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  restorer  of  the  walls,  and  so  is 
the  share  that  Emperor  Isaac  Angelus  contributed  to 
their  repair. 

No  doubt  there  was  much  need  of  walls  to  guard 
the  ever-extending  sea-front  of  the  city  along  the  shore 
of  the  Sea  of  Marmora ;  for  though  the  Greeks,  and 
after  them  the  Turks,  were  generally  able  to  forestall 
an  attack  by  striking  first,  this  policy  in  the  degenerate 
times  of  the  Empire  was  not  always  practicable. 

Still  the  sea-walls  were  not  exposed  to  the  assaults 
of  an  enemy  to  such  an  extent  as  were  the  landward 
ones  ;  their  worst  enemy  was  the  sea  in  its  destructive 
phases,  and  other  elements  aided  in  rendering  insecure 
man's  tenure  of  this  precious  slip  of  land. 

The  traveller  must  remember  the  first  sight  of  Con- 
stantine's  glorious  city  ;  he  approached  it  at  high  noon 
and  saw  it  melting  in  a  golden  haze  rising  out  of 
tranquil  waters,  which  mirrored  faithfully  the  colour  of 

85 


The    Walls  of  Constantinople 

the  sky,  while  many  other  colours  flamed  and  fleeted 
like    sparkling    diamonds.     Yet    as    we    approached 
Seraglio  Point   the   strength  of  the   current  became 
evident,  the  current  against  which  those  heavy-built 
sailing   craft,    aided    by  their   oars,    batded   so    man- 
fully, while  it  bore  other  small  craft  swiftly  out  into 
the  Sea  of  Marmora.     This  current  with  its  constant 
wear  and  tear  put  a  severe  strain  on  the  foundations  of 
the  seaward  walls  upon  Seraglio  Point.    The  traveller's 
first  view  was  in  the  fairest  of  fair  weather ;  but  in  the 
winter,  when  the  piercing  icy  gale  tears  down  through 
the  narrow  channel  of  the  Bosphorus,  ploughing  up 
its  waters  to  dash  them   against  the  facings  of  the 
promontory,  another  side  of  the  picture  is  revealed, 
and  helps  to  account  for  the  constant  repairs  that  were 
needed  to  keep  the  seaward  ramparts  in  a  proper  state 
of  defence.     Not  only  those  storms  that  scourge  the 
racing  billows  to  the  charge,  but  other  forces  have 
helped  to  frustrate  man's  efforts  to  shelter  himself  from 
fierce  foemen  and  fiercer  elements. 

For  in  447  an  earthquake  visited  this  fair  spot  and 
wreaked  much  havoc  among  the  stout  walls  and  stouter 
towers  that  Constantine  constructed.  Again,  some 
three  centuries  later,  a  most  severe  winter  held  all  that 
Eastern  neighbourhood  in  an  iron  grip.  According  to 
Theophanes,  the  Black  Sea  along  the  northern  and 

86 


Seraglio   Point 

western  shores  was  frozen  to  a  distance  of  one  hundred 
miles  from  land,  and  that  to  a  depth  of  sixty  feet.  Upon 
this  foundation  a  huge  mass  of  snow  some  forty-five 
feet  in  height  had  gathered.  With  the  softer  breath 
of  spring  the  ice  broke  up,  and  floating  on  the  swift 
currents  of  the  Bosphorus  came  the  floes  in  such 
numbers  that  they  blocked  up  the  narrower  passages 
and  formed  a  floating  barricade  across  the  channel 
from  Scutari  to  Galata.  When  this  mass  in  its  turn 
was  loosened  and  drifted  south,  huge  icebergs  crashed 
against  the  bulwarks,  so  high  that  they  overtopped  the 
towers  and  ramparts  of  the  sea-wall,  so  great  that  their 
weight  and  impetus  crushed  all  that  opposed  their 
progress.  And  thus  the  walls  along  the  apex  of  the 
promontory  had  to  be  entirely  reconstructed  by  Michael 
II,  who  commenced  the  work,  and  his  son  Theophllus, 
who  completed  it. 

Author  and  Artist  have  discussed  most  seriously  how 
best  to  show  the  traveller  these  walls  along  the  Sea  of 
Marmora,  for  there  is  much  to  be  seen.  The  Artist 
loves  the  view  from  across  the  Sea  of  Marmora  seen 
at  sunrise,  of  the  city  swimming  in  a  sea  of  pearly 
grey ;  or  at  sunset,  purple  against  a  glowing  mass  of 
orange,  red  and  green,  colours  which  are  all  truthfully 
reflected  in  the  placid  waters.  And  the  centre  of  the 
composition  is  the  Seraglio  lighthouse.    Close  behind  it 

87 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

rise  battlemented  walls  and  towers,  and  then  in  tiers  of 
little  red  roofs  above  the  grey  wooden  houses,  among 
trees  of  all  kinds,  while  everywhere  the  immortal 
cypress  strives  after  the  minarets  that  stand  as  sentinels 
to  the  many  mosques  which  crown  the  heights  of  the 
city. 

Here,  too,  on  that  tranquil  sheet  of  water,  pages 
of  history  have  been  unrolled,  filled  up,  and  set  aside 
for  the  guidance  of  future  generations.  For  though 
the  seaward  walls  were  strong  and  bravely  manned, 
though  they  were  further  guarded  by  a  current  which 
could  dash  an  enemy's  fleet  to  atoms  on  the  strong 
surface  of  the  defences,  or  carry  it  harmless  out  to 
sea  again,  many  a  shipload  of  adventurous  spirits  has 
tried  conclusions  with  the  men  who  held  them  and 
the  elements  which  guarded  the  approaches  with  equal 
jealousy. 

Perhaps  the  first  serious  attempt  upon  the  seaward 
walls  was  made  by  those  scourges  of  the  Mediterranean, 
the  Saracens.  It  was  on  this  occasion  that  mention  is 
first  made  of  the  use  of  a  chain  to  close  the  entrance 
of  a  harbour  against  an  enemy.  It  was  stretched 
across  the  Golden  Horn,  from  a  tower  near  the  apex 
of  the  promontory  to  one  upon  the  northern  bank. 

Those  were  stirring  times,  when  the  sons  of  Arabia 
Felix,  the  first  disciples  of  the  Prophet,  spread  out  over 

88 


Seraglio   Point 

all  the  Mediterranean  and  the  neighbouring  countries. 
They  conquered  in  breathless  advance  Egypt  and  all 
north  of  Africa,  and  held  their  own  still  in  its  most 
western  region.  They  invaded  Persia,  they  overflowed 
into  Spain,  overthrew  the  Gothic  monarchy,  and 
remained,  despite  the  heroic  efforts  of  Charlemagne 
and  his  Paladins.  Syria  and  the  Holy  Places  were 
theirs,  and  they  snatched  what  was  best  and  most 
worth  having  among  the  islands  of  the  Mediterranean. 
What  wonder,  then,  that  they  turned  their  eager, 
flashing  eyes  towards  Constantinople  ?  As  we  stand 
gazing  at  the  beautiful  city  that  rises  proudly  out  of  a 
tranquil  sea,  the  waters  become  troubled,  and  dark- 
blue  and  iron-grey  storm-clouds  gather  in  the  south. 
They  race  up  from  the  Dardanelles,  and  hundreds  of 
rakish-looking  craft,  rigged  as  those  that  the  traveller 
may  see  any  day  off  the  north  coast  of  Africa,  fly 
before  the  wind.  The  rain  falls  in  torrents,  and  then 
suddenly  all  is  still  again,  the  sea  is  quiet,  and  the 
rearguard  of  the  tempest  sweeps  away  up  the  Bos- 
phorus,  to  leave  the  sun  in  possession  of  its  former 
battlefield.  Even  so  came  the  invincible  navies  of 
Egypt  and  Syria,  carrying  the  swarthy  sons  of  Arabia 
towards  the  treasures  they  descried  within  the  walls  of 
Constan tine's  Imperial  City.  And  up  it  comes,  this 
storm-cloud,  over  a  smooth  sea,  and  borne  on  a  gentle 

89 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

breeze  like  a  moving  forest  overshadowing  the  surface 
of  the  strait.  Others  of  their  fierce  race  and  fiercer 
faith  were  arrayed  before  the  land-walls  ;  and  no  one 
of  the  invaders  doubted  that  any  bulwarks,  however 
strong,  however  well  defended,  could  resist  the  tide  of 
passionate  bravery  that  was  about  to  break  over  the 
devoted  city. 

But  the  time  was  not  yet  come.  Leo  III  the 
I  saurian,  a  man  risen  from  the  people  to  the  Imperial 
Purple  through  his  ability  and  valour,  knew  how  to 
defend  his  own.  He  had  the  chain  that  guarded  the 
entrance  to  the  harbour  lowered,  and,  while  the  enemy 
hesitated  as  to  which  course  to  adopt,  Greek  fireships 
sailed  amongst  them  carrying  destruction  as  to  the 
Armada.  This,  and  the  tempests  that  arose,  so  seriously 
damaged  the  hitherto  invincible  fleet  that  only  a  few 
galleys  were  spared  to  return  to  Alexandria  and  to 
relate  the  tale  of  their  moving  misadventures. 

Though  peace  was  never  the  lot  of  the  Eastern 
Empire  for  any  protracted  period,  it  was  more  than  a 
century  later  that  an  unfriendly  keel  furrowed  the 
waters  of  the  Sea  of  Marmora.  And  this  time  the 
trouble  came  from  within.  Michael  II  the  Stammerer 
had  gained  the  throne  when  Leo  V  the  Armenian 
was  slain  at  the  foot  of  the  altar  grasping  a  weighty 
cross  in  his  hand.     Thomas  contested  Michael's  claim 

90 


Seraglio  Point 

and  sailed  towards  the  city  to  enforce  his  own,  but 
a  storm  arose  and  compelled  him  to  withdraw.  So 
Thomas  and  his  galleys  are  wafted  from  the  scene  to 
be  followed  shortly  afterwards  by  other  hardier  adven- 
turers. They  came  down  from  the  Black  Sea,  a  black 
cloud  their  canopy,  on  black  waters  that  turned  to 
silver  where  the  prows  of  their  vessels  cleared  a  path. 
Fierce,  reckless  foes  these,  who  in  865  first  made  ac- 
quaintance with  the  Eastern  Gate  of  Europe,  a  goal 
that  for  ten  centuries  represented  the  sum  of  their 
ambition.  Fair  men  of  big  stature  with  high  cheek- 
bones, speaking  a  barbarous  language,  they  sped 
down  on  the  wings  of  a  fierce  gale  towards  the  Golden 
Horn.  But  here  the  tempest  gained  the  mastery,  and 
this  the  first  Russian  fleet  to  disturb  the  peace  of 
Constantinople  perished  in  the  storm. 

Again  a  visionary  host  crowds  the  further  banks 
with  their  glittering  arms  and  pennants  waving  over- 
head ;  all  the  chivalry  of  the  West  is  here  assem- 
bled. Their  numbers  are  so  great  that  the  Byzantine 
agents  gave  up  the  task  of  counting  them.  They 
came  from  all  the  West :  from  Rome  to  Britain,  from 
Poland  and  Bohemia  and  all  Germany  under  the 
banner  of  Conrad  the  Kaiser.  Louis  of  France  too, 
and  his  nobles,  swelled  this  throng,  who,  with  the  cross 
emblazoned  on  their  shields  and  embroidered  on  their 

91 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

garments,  set  out  upon  this  conquest  of  the  Holy 
Land.  We  see  them  cross  the  waters,  while  hope 
beats  high  in  their  unconquered  hearts,  and  would 
rather  draw  a  veil  over  the  return  of  the  mere 
remnant  of  survivors. 

Then  later  on  came  others  in  larger  vessels,  from 
the  South  :  Genoese,  experienced  travellers  and  deter- 
mined fighters  ;  also  Venetians,  the  only  race  of  sea- 
dogs  that  ever  succeeded  in  an  attempt  on  these  sea- 
walls. A  striking  scene  this.  In  double  line  the 
ships  and  lighter  galleys  of  the  Venetians  bore  down 
upon  the  walls.  Soldiers  leapt  from  the  swifter  sailing 
craft  on  to  shore  and  planted  scaling-ladders  against 
the  walls.  In  the  meantime  the  heavier  ships  filled  up 
the  gaps  with  their  high  poop-decks  and  turrets,  as 
platforms  for  those  military  engines  then  in  use,  and 
from  them  drawbridges  were  lowered  to  the  summit  of 
the  wall.  On  the  prow  of  his  galley  stood  Dandolo, 
the  venerable  Doge,  in  full  armour.  He  was  the  first 
warrior  on  the  shore.  The  standard  of  St.  Mark 
waved  from  the  ramparts  and  twenty-five  of  the  towers 
were  speedily  occupied,  the  Greeks  being  driven  by 
fire  from  the  adjacent  quarters.  But  Dandolo  decided 
to  forego  the  advantage  thus  gained  in  order  to  hasten 
to  the  aid  of  his  Latin  comrades,  whose  small  and 
exhausted    bands   were    in   sore    straits    among    the 

92 


Seraglio  Point 


superior  numbers  of  the  Greeks.  Nevertheless,  their 
firm  aspect  awed  the  coward  Emperor  Alexius.  But 
he  collected  a  treasure  of  10,000  pounds  of  gold,  and 
basely  deserting  his  wife  and  people  crept  into  a  barque 
and  stole  through  the  Bosphorus  and  sought  safety  in 
an  obscure  Thracian  harbour. 

Two  mighty  heroes  of  history  and  Romance,  both 
known  as  Barbarossa,  add  yet  more  colour  to  the 
vivid  pageant  that  plays  over  these  placid  waters. 
For  further  to  the  south,  where  the  Sea  of  Marmora 
narrows  into  the  Channel  of  the  Dardanelles,  the  Red- 
beard  Frederick,  Conrad's  son  and  successor  to  the 
throne  of  the  Holy  Roman  Empire,  if  not  the  greatest, 
at  least  the  best  known  in  the  romantic  story  of  the 
house  of  Hohenstauffen,  crossed  into  Asia  to  find,  after 
many  deeds  of  derring  do,  his  watery  grave  in  a  small 
Cilician  torrent.  There  were  many  who  believed  he 
was  not  dead,  but  only  slumbering  deep  among  the 
ruins  of  Kyffhausen — his  long  red  beard  grown  through 
the  table  on  which  his  hand  supports  his  head,  the 
while  he  dreams  even  as  he  has  dreamt  through  all 
the  troublous  times  that  visited  Germany.  Dreamt 
while  the  last  scion  of  his  house  perished  ;  dreamt 
while  a  war  of  thirty  years,  provoked  like  all  the 
cruelest  wars  by  religious  differences,  devastated  the 
fair  fields  of  Germany  and  laid  waste  many  a  walled 

93 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

city  ;  dreamt  while  the  march  of  the  first  Napoleon's 
armies  made  Europe  tremble — only  to  awake  when  all 
Germany  arose  and  marched  towards  the  Rhine  and 
into  the  Empire  of  the  third  Napoleon,  and  returning 
thence  to  build  up  a  new  and  stronger  empire. 

The  next  to  bear  the  epithet  of  Barbarossa  lived 
his  eventful  life  when  Francis  I  was  King  of  France 
and  Charles  V  King  of  Spain,  Naples  and  the  Nether- 
lands, and  by  election  German  Emperor,  ruled  over 
many  states  and  provinces  of  the  old  world  -and  the 
new. 

Solyman  I  the  Great  was  Sultan  and  Chief,  and 
reigned  at  Constantinople,  extending  the  empire  of  the 
Crescent  by  land  far  into  Western  Europe,  while 
Barbarossa  carried  the  victorious  symbol  everywhere 
in  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  His  name  was  Khairedden 
Pasha,  one  of  four  brothers  who  were  trained  to  mer- 
chandise with  its  usual  concomitant  piracy,  and  amassed 
great  wealth  in  these  pursuits.  Barbarossa  and  his 
brother  Urudsh  sailed  at  first  under  the  flag  of  the 
Tunisian  Sultan  but  paid  tribute  to  Solyman,  and 
eventually  transferred  to  him  their  allegiance.  They 
conquered  Temnes,  Algiers,  and  all  the  Barbary  coast, 
which  they  held  as  fief  of  the  Porte.  All  his  ventures 
seemed  to  be  successful.  A  strong  fleet  was  sent 
against  him  under  command  of  Genoa's  great  admiral, 

94 


Seraglio  Point 

Doria,  by  Charles  V,  but  Barbarossa  defied  him. 
A  stately  pageant  passed  down  the  Sea  of  Marmora 
in  1534.  Barbarossa  and  his  fleet  of  eighty-four 
vessels,  with  which  he  scoured  the  Mediterranean  Sea, 
ravaged  the  coasts  of  Italy,  Minorca  and  Spain,  and 
beat  the  combined  fleets  of  the  Emperor,  the  Pope, 
and  Venice  off  Prevosa.  After  many  years  of  success- 
ful marauding  we  see  the  Turkish  fleet  return,  still 
under  command  of  their  veteran  admiral,  Barbarossa, 
whose  beard  was  turning  white.  A  peaceful  end  in 
Constantinople  was  his,  and  now  the  body  that  held 
that  turbulent  spirit  rests  worthily  enshrined  by  the 
shore  of  the  Bosphorus. 

With  the  passing  of  Barbarossa  a  new  power  first 
makes  its  appearance  under  the  walls  of  old  Byzantium, 
its  colours  the  white  ensign  emblazoned  with  St. 
George's  blood-red  cross.  Tight-built  English  ships, 
some  of  which  may  possibly  have  borne  their  brave 
part  in  the  defeat  of  Spain's  great  Armada,  are  next 
seen  sailing  smoothly  upon  the  waters  of  the  inland 
sea.  They  bring  messages  from  Elizabeth,  Queen  of 
England,  to  Amurath  II,  Sultan  and  Chief. 

Again,  a  century  later,  when  Ibrahim,  an  evil  ruler, 
reigned  over  the  Turkish  Empire,  and  excesses  of  all 
kinds  went  unpunished,  some  English  ships  lying  in 
the    Bosphorus  were  plundered.     It  was  the    custom 

95 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

then  in  Turkey,  when  any  one  had  received  an  injury 
from  a  minister  or  official,  for  him  to  put  fire  on  his 
head  and  run  to  the  palace.  Stout  Sir  Thomas 
Bentinck,  the  English  Ambassador — redress  for  the 
outrage  to  English  ships  having  been  refused — brought 
them  up  from  Galata  and  anchored  them  immediately 
before  the  windows  of  the  Imperial  Palace.  Adapt- 
ing the  custom  we  have  mentioned,  he  lighted  fires 
on  every  yard-arm.  No  sooner  was  this  seen  on 
shore  than  the  Vizier  hastened  to  the  Ambassador, 
paid  him  a  large  sum  of  money,  and  engaging  to  pay 
the  surplus  of  the  sum  demanded,  besought  him  to 
extinguish  the  warning  blaze. 

But  now,  at  the  bidding  of  the  Author,  we  move 
landwards  again.  As  we  approach,  bearing  somewhat 
to  the  south  of  the  Seraglio  lighthouse,  the  buildings 
above  us  stand  out  more  clearly.  Constantine's  Church, 
now  Mosque  of  St.  Sophia,  looms  over  all  the  attendant 
minarets,  relieving  the  imposing  mass  of  masonry  of 
its  too  heavy  aspect.  Near  by  the  Mosque  of  St. 
Irene,  also  of  Constantine's  building.  In  this  mosque 
is  still  kept  the  chain  that  barred  the  Golden  Horn 
to  the  Turks  during  the  last  siege.  A  long  yellow 
building  stands  out  near  St.  Sophia,  and  shows  a 
pillared  front  to  the  smooth  waters  of  the  Marmora. 
This  is  now  the  Turkish  Parliament,  though  in  a  short 

96 


Seraglio  Point 

time  that  young  and  vigorous  assembly  is  to  transfer 
its  deliberations  to  one  of  the  more  gorgeous  palaces 
of  the  Bosphorus.  Fittingly  enough  it  stands  almost 
on  the  site  of  the  Senate  of  Roman,  Grecian  and 
Byzantine  empire.  Here  centred  much  of  the  life  of 
the  old  City  of  Constantine,  hard  by  is  the  Hippodrome 
which  that  emperor  laid  out.  It  was  here  that  the 
city's  pleasure-seeking  denizens  met  to  enjoy  the 
games,  the  chariot-races,  and  other  pastimes  peculiar 
to  that  age.  What  fortunes  must  have  been  wagered 
or  dissipated  by  a  single  crashing  blow  of  the  caestus, 
or  by  one  slip  of  the  runner  as  he  left  the  starting- 
line  !  How  many  a  delicate  girl  must  have  held  her 
hands  in  horror  to  her  eyes,  when  under  the  brazen 
tripod  fell  the  charioteer  who  had  swerved  too  closely 
to  the  corner,  and  drawn  down  the  other  competitors 
with  him  in  his  ruin.  Here,  also,  in  later  times  of 
trouble  or  internal  strife  the  citizens  would  meet  and 
clamour  to  be  taken  to  the  palace,  there  to  acclaim  a 
heroic  emperor,  or  abuse  an  unpopular  leader.  How 
fickle  and  ill-balanced  that  turbulent  cosmopolitan 
crowd  must  have  been,  we  realize  from  the  curious 
history  of  Justinian. 

Justinian,  bearing  the  name  of  a  triumphant  law- 
giver, entered  into  the  heritage  of  the  Roman  world 
in  685.     He  was  a  lad  of  strong  passions  and  feeble 
G  97 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

intellect.  He  ruled  with  a  cruelty  gross  even  for  that 
age  and  place,  through  the  hands  of  his  favourite 
ministers,  a  eunuch  and  a  monk,  by  whose  aid  he 
succeeded  for  ten  years  in  braving  the  growing  hatred 
of  his  subjects.  A  sudden  freak,  rather  than  any  sense 
of  the  justice  he  habitually  outraged,  induced  the 
emperor  to  liberate  Leontius,  a  general  of  high  repute, 
who,  with  some  of  the  city's  noblest  and  most  deserving 
men,  had  suffered  imprisonment  for  above  three  years. 
Leontius  was  promoted  to  be  Governor  of  Greece. 
A  successful  conspiracy  was  headed  by  him,  the 
prisons  were  forced  open,  and  an  excited  populace 
swarmed  to  the  Church  of  St.  Sophia,  where  the 
Patriarch,  taking  as  text  for  his  sermon,  "This  is  the 
day  of  the  Lord,"  influenced  the  passions  of  the 
multitude.  They  crowded  into  the  Hippodrome, 
Justinian  was  dragged  before  the  insurgent  judges, 
who  clamoured  for  his  immediate  death.  But  Leontius, 
already  clothed  in  the  Purple,  was  merciful,  and  spared 
the  life  of  his  benefactor's  son,  the  scion  of  so  many 
emperors,  and,  slightly  mutilated  about  the  face,  the 
deposed  sovereign  was  banished  to  the  Crimea.  Here 
he  abode,  and  watched  events  of  which  the  news 
trickled  through  but  sparingly.  News  of  another 
revolution  arrived,  in  which  Leontius  fell  from  power 
a  mutilated  victim,  to  make  room  for  Apsimar,  who 

98 


Seraglio  Point 

henceforth  called  himself  Tiberius.  Meanwhile 
Justinian  had  contracted  an  alliance  with  the  Khan 
of  the  Chazars  by  marrying  that  chief's  sister,  Theodora. 
But  the  Khan  proved  venal,  and  bribed  by  the  gold 
of  Constantinople  sought  to  bring  about  Justinian's 
death.  In  vain,  for  Theodora's  conjugal  love  frustrated 
this  design,  and  Justinian  with  his  own  hands  strangled 
the  two  emissaries  of  the  Khan.  He  then  sent 
Theodora  back  to  her  brother.  Thereupon  Justinian 
sailed  away,  and  with  the  aid  of  the  Bulgarians  laid 
siege  to  his  own  city,  which  having  tired  of  their 
present  ruler  admitted  him  to  the  throne  again. 

So  we  find  Justinian  in  the  Hippodrome  surrounded 
by  his  people.  The  two  usurpers,  Leontius  and 
Apsimar,  were  dragged  one  from  his  prison,  the  other 
from  his  palace,  and  cast  prostrate  and  in  fetters  before 
the  throne,  where  Justinian  sat  and  watched  the 
chariot-race,  a  foot  on  the  neck  of  each  vanquished 
rival.  The  fickle  people  meanwhile  shouted  in  the 
words  of  the  psalmist,  **  Thou  shalt  trample  on  the 
asp  and  basilisk,  and  on  the  lion  and  the  dragon  shalt 
thou  set  thy  foot."  Even  in  those  early  days  the  use 
of  a  well-known  text,  taken  conveniently  apart  from 
its  context,  was  a  political  weapon  not  to  be  despised. 

When  the  games  were  over  Leontius  and  Apsimar 
were    taken   down   to   the    Kynegion,    the   place   of 
G  2  99 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

execution  near  the  Church  of  St.  George  of  Mangana, 
and  there  Justinian  requited  the  ill-judged  clemency  of 
his  former  conqueror.  But  his  own  capricious  cruelty 
so  disgusted  the  troops  he  had  dispatched  to  carry  out 
the  sentence  of  those  on  whom  the  Emperor  had  sworn 
to  be  avenged,  that  they  revolted,  and  invested 
Bardanes  with  the  Imperial  Purple.  Destitute  of 
friends,  and  deserted  by  his  Barbarian  guard,  there 
was  none  to  ward  off  the  stroke  of  the  assassin,  and 
by  it  Justinian,  along  with  his  innocent  son,  Tiberius, 
perished,  and  thus  ended  the  line  of  Heraclius. 


lOO 


CHAPTF 

THE    WALLS    BY   TF 

OF  MARMORA 

more, 

•ver.tward. 

^h 

The  Palace  of  Hormisdas  or  Justinian. 

This  place  is  full  of  the  memories  of  dark  and  strange  events, 
it  is  the  Palace  of  Justinian. 

i  full  orthe  memories  of  dark  and  strange 
IS  the  Palace  of  Justinian. 

ailed  this  the  Palace  of.  Hormisdas, 
.   t  :  of  Persia,  who  sougl  a  here 

Great.     Others,  again,  s\iggesi 
lit  by  Justinian  himself  before 

Hxur  to  y\H 


^^in^vd  sgafi' 


om»m  srfi  i'  ---  .^ 


,.rr 


^' 


CHAPTER   V 

THE    WALLS    BY    THE    SEA    OF    MARMORA 

Let  us  go  ashore  under  the  sea-walls  of  Constanti- 
nople. We  now  approach  the  white  Seraglio  light- 
house, keeping  a  little  south  of  it  and  yet  a  little  more, 
rounding  a  slight  bend  of  the  coast  to  westward. 
Here,  beyond  a  strong  square  tower  which  formerly 
showed  a  flare  of  Grecian  fire  to  guide  the  mariner,  is 
a  stretch  of  beach,  Author  and  Artist  insist  on  landing. 
The  tower  we  left  on  our  right  joins  on  to  a  large 
front  of  masonry,  built  stoutly  of  rough  stones  as  you 
may  see  where  the  walls  are  broken,  and  where  a  few 
marble  pillars  frame  hollow  openings  for  the  windows. 
This  place  is  full  of  the  memories  of  dark  and  strange 
events,  it  is  the  Palace  of  Justinian. 

Old  chroniclers  called  this  the  Palace  of  Hormisdas, 
or  Hormouz,  Prince  of  Persia,  who  sought  refuge  here 
with  Constantlne  the  Great.  Others,  again,  suggest 
that  this  palace  was  built  by  Justinian  himself  before 
he  began  his  long  and  useful  reign. 

At  any  rate,  great  and  famous  names  occur  to  us 

lOI 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

as  we  survey  these  ruins.  It  is  an  astounding  chapter 
of  history  this,  which  tells  how  Justinian  came  to 
inherit  the  Imperial  Purple.  His  uncle  Justin  was  the 
founder  of  his  house,  a  simple  Dacian  peasant  who 
left  his  native  village  and  the  flocks  he  tended  to 
enter  the  military  service  of  the  Eastern  Empire. 
Through  his  own  strength,  his  own  ability  and  valour 
in  the  field,  Justin  the  Dacian  peasant  rose  step  by 
step  until  he  took  his  place  next  to  Caesar  himself  in 
importance.  Then  when  the  Emperor  Anastasius  died, 
after  carefully  excluding  his  own  kinsman  from  the 
throne,  Justin  was  acclaimed  Emperor  by  the  unani- 
mous consent  of  those  who  knew  him  to  be  brave  and 
gentle,  his  soldiers,  and  by  those  who  held  him  to  be 
orthodox,  the  priests.  So  in  his  old  age,  for  he  was 
sixty-eight  when  Anastasius  died,  Justin  climbed  the 
throne  and  reigned  for  nine  years.  Strange,  too,  it  is, 
that  he  and  yet  another  ruler  of  his  time,  Theodoric, 
the  King  of  Italy,  even  in  those  days  when  learning 
was  by  no  means  uncommon,  should  both  have  been 
unable  to  read  and  write.  Justin  had  brought  his 
nephew  Justinian  out  of  Dacia,  and  had  him  educated 
in  Constantinople  to  be  trained  for  the  Purple. 

His  was  a  curious  and  eventful  reign.  Of  great 
strength  and  comely  of  face,  full  of  the  best  intentions 
and  restless    in    his  pursuit  of  knowledge,   Justinian 

I02 


The  Walls  by  the  Sea  of   Marmora 

entered  into  his  inheritance ;  he  had  been  his  uncle 
Justin's  right  hand,  and  so  was  well  acquainted  with 
all  the  devious  ways  of  statecraft.  So  everything 
promised  well,  and  in  a  measure  he  succeeded.  The 
wars  he  undertook  were  brought  to  a  successful  issue, 
the  laws  he  framed  should  have  earned  him  the  people's 
gratitude,  yet  Justinian  was  not  beloved. 

No  doubt  these  walls  could  tell  the  reason — you 
may  almost  hear  them  whisper,  **  Theodora,  the  actress, 
the  dancer,  and  Justinian's  empress."  Surely  those 
were  stirring  times,  when  Justinian  and  Theodora  sat 
side  by  side  upon  the  throne,  when  circus  and  streets 
rang  with  the  cries  of  factions,  Blue  and  Green.  And 
Theodora  favoured  Blue — her  cause  for  doing  so  dates 
back  to  the  day  of  her  earliest  appearance  in  Constan- 
tinople— in  the  theatre.  Here  she  and  her  sisters, 
daughters  of  Acacius,  whose  office  was  to  tend  the 
wild  beasts  that  the  Green  faction  kept  for  the  games, 
were  brought  by  their  mother  in  the  garb  of  suppliants. 
The  Green  faction  received  them  with  contempt,  the 
Blues  with  compassion,  and  hence  the  reason  that 
Theodora  favoured  that  colour. 

Then  some  time  elapsed,  during  which  it  were  best 
not  to  follow  Theodora's  fortunes.  During  this  epoch 
a  son  was  born  to  her.  Years  after,  the  father  of  the 
child  when    dying  told   him  :    *'  Your  mother    is   an 

103 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

empress."  The  son  of  Theodora  hastened  to  Con- 
stantinople, hurried  to  the  palace  to  present  himself 
— and  was  never  seen  again.  When  in  seclusion  at 
Alexandria  Theodora  had  a  vision  which  told  her  that 
one  day  she  would  wear  the  Purple,  so  she  returned 
to  Constantinople,  and  ere  long  won  Justinian's  love. 
So  they  reigned  side  by  side,  and  Justinian  first  of 
that  name  is  still  called  "the  Great."  Let  whatever 
evil  she  may  have  done  be  forgotten.  Are  not  the 
scandals  of  that  time  softened  by  the  mists  of  romance 
which  enshroud  them,  for  all  but  those  who  like  to 
peer  about  among  the  secrets  of  dead  men,  and 
to  cavil  at  their  failings,  and  tear  what  tatters  of 
reputation  they  can  find  into  yet  smaller  shreds. 

Nearly  four  centuries  had  passed,  and  yet  again 
the  Palace  of  Justinian  was  witness  of  Imperial  weak- 
ness. The  Greek  fleet  rode  at  anchor  beneath  the 
windows  of  the  palace,  and  from  his  ship  the  Admiral 
Romanus  Lecapenus  made  his  way  into  the  presence 
of  the  Emperor.  There  he  demanded  of  Constantine 
VII,  called  Porphyrogenitus,  a  share  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Empire,  and  was  proclaimed  co-Emperor. 
At  one  time  during  this  reign  five  Csesars  wore  the 
Purple;  he  who  was  born  in  It,  Constantine  VII, 
Porphyrogenitus,  ranked  least  among  them,  but  he 
survived  them  all  in  office  to  die  of  poison,  it  is  said 

104 


The  Walls  by  the  Sea  of  Marmora 

administered  by  Theophane,  the  wife  of  his  son, 
Romanus  II. 

Again  a  woman  plays  a  strong  part  in  the  history 
of  these  palace  walls.  A  woman  of  low  origin,  this 
wife  of  the  Eastern  Emperor,  son  of  Constantine  VII, 
and  under  the  careless  reign  of  her  good-natured 
husband,  she  made  her  vigorous  personality  a  power 
in  the  land.  Four  years  did  Romanus  II  reign,  and 
in  that  time  did  nothing  that  could  afford  the  historian 
excuse  for  lingering  on  his  name.  Strongly  built  and 
fair  to  look  upon,  his  time  was  spent  in  the  pleasures 
he  best  loved.  While  the  two  brothers  Leo  and  Nice- 
phones  triumphed  over  the  Saracens,  the  Emperor's 
days  were  spent  in  strenuous  leisure.  He  visited  the 
circus  in  the  morning,  feasted  the  senators  at  noon, 
and  then  adjourned  to  the  sphaeristerium,  the  tennis- 
court,  where  he  achieved  his  only  victories.  From 
time  to  time  he  would  cross  over  to  the  Asiatic  side, 
and  there  hunt  the  wild  boar,  returning  to  the  palace 
well  content  with  what  he  probably  considered  a  good 
day's  work. 

Theophane  tired  of  her  useless  spouse,  and  mingled 
for  him  the  same  deadly  draught  which  killed  his 
father.  She  then  aspired  to  reign  in  the  name  of  her 
two  sons,  Basil  and  Constantine,  one  five,  the  other  only 
two  years  old,  but  found  she  could  not  support  the 

105 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

weight  of  such  responsibility,  and  looked  about  for 
some  one  to  protect  her. 

She  found  the  man  in  Nicephorus  Phocas,  who 
was  then  accounted  the  bravest  soldier  in  the  land. 
In  other  ways  he  appeared  suitable,  for  he  combined 
with  the  military  genius  that  had  led  to  many  victories 
the  reputation  of  a  saint.  For  the  rest,  in  person  he 
was  deformed,  so  that  perchance  Theophane  s  spacious 
heart  was  aided  by  her  head  when  she  set  about  to 
choose  the  successor  to  Romanus  in  her  affections. 
Another  like  him  lived  many  centuries  later  and  ruled 
over  England,  Richard  of  Gloucester — and  through 
the  hazy  veil  wherewith  romance  so  kindly  clothes  the 
crude  outlines  of  history,  it  is  difficult  to  decide  to 
what  extent  the  religious  practices  and  utterances  of 
these  two  monarchs  were  prompted  by  sincerity  or 
guile.  For  Nicephorus  wore  hair-cloth,  fasted,  and 
clothed  his  conversation  with  pious  terms  ;  he  even 
wished  to  retire  from  the  business  of  this  world  into 
the  serene  seclusion  of  a  monastery.  Whatever  the 
value  of  the  sentiments  he  expressed,  the  people  and 
the  Patriarch  trusted  him,  and  so  he  was  invested  with 
the  command  of  the  oriental  armies. 

No  sooner  had  he  received  the  leaders  and  the 
troops  than  he  marched  boldly  into  Constantinople  at 
their  head.     He  trampled  on  his  enemies,  avowed  his 

1 06 


The  Walls  by  the  Sea  of  Marmora 

correspondence  with  the  Empress,  and  assumed  the 
title  of  Augustus.  Unlike  his  double,  Richard,  he 
spared  the  lives  of  the  young  princes. 

After  some  dubious  dealings,  the  silence  of  the 
clergy  made  his  union  with  Theophane  possible,  so  he 
reached  the  height  of  his  ambition — the  Imperial 
Purple.  But,  strange  to  say,  the  once  so  popular 
general  when  in  the  Purple  lost  the  affection  of  his 
people.  No  doubt  the  faults  were  equally  divided, 
the  Greeks  disliked  him  for  his  parsimony,  and  he 
had  ample  precedent  of  how  easily  a  fickle  population 
can  change  from  favour  to  fierce  hatred.  A  demon- 
stration of  this  change  caused  Nicephorus  to  fortify 
the  Palace  of  Justinian  ;  he  had  been  stoned  by  his 
own  people,  and  had  barely  reached  the  palace  in 
safety. 

Whilst  standing  by  the  sea  under  this  mass  of 
ruins,  let  us  go  back  to  a  winter's  night  in  969.  The 
additions  to  the  palace  that  Nicephorus  had  made  to 
guard  him  against  the  fury  of  his  subjects  had  that 
day  been  completed.  The  gates  were  locked  and 
bolted,  the  windows  strongly  barred,  and,  as  a  further 
precaution,  the  Emperor  had  moved  from  the  couch 
and  room  he  generally  occupied  at  night,  and  lay 
asleep  stretched  on  a  bear-skin  on  the  floor  of  a  smaller 
chamber.      But   treachery   lurked    within   the   palace 

107 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

walls ;  murderous  plans  were  rife,  and  they  were  con- 
ceived in  the  brain  of  an  adulterous  empress.  And 
listening  by  those  dark  waves  we  hear  the  sound  of 
muffled  oars.  A  boat  takes  shape  in  the  gloom  at  the 
foot  of  the  palace  stairs.  Headed  by  John  Zimisces, 
lover  of  Theophane,  a  man  of  small  stature  but  great 
strength  and  beauty,  and  a  soldier  of  renown,  shadowy 
forms  ascend  a  rope  ladder,  lowered  from  a  window 
by  some  female  attendants.  Other  conspirators  were 
hidden  in  Theophane's  most  private  chambers ;  they 
reached  the  Emperor  s  retreat,  and  with  much  cruelty 
and  insult  Nicephorus  II  Phocas  was  done  to  death. 

John  Zimisces  reigned  in  his  stead,  but  ere  he  was 
allowed  to  assume  full  power  with  the  sanction  of 
the  Church  he  had  to  face  at  least  one  upright  man. 
On  the  threshold  of  St.  Sophia,  whither  he  went 
to  his  coronation,  the  intrepid  Patriarch  stopped  his 
progress,  charged  him  with  entering  the  Holy  Place 
with  blood  upon  his  hands,  and  demanded,  as  a  sign 
of  penance,  he  should  separate  himself  from  his  guilty 
companion. 

So  Theophane  was  banished  from  the  place  that 
still  is  haunted  by  her  baleful  influence,  and  died 
unmourned  in  exile. 

Another  vision,  less  sombre,  equally  dramatic  and 
more  fleeting,  comes  and  fades  away.     Amaury,  king 

1 08 


The  Walls  by  the  Sea  of  Marmora 

of  Jerusalem,  visits  Manuel  Comunenus  in  1170,  to 
implore  his  aid  against  Saladin.  A  brief  pathetic 
scene  thus  re-enacts  itself,  brief  as  the  reign  of  those, 
the  Christian  Kings  of  David's  Royal  City,  pathetic  in 
the  waste  of  life,  the  misery,  the  abject  hopelessness 
that  marked  those  chivalrous  enterprises  known  to  us 
as  the  Crusades. 

One  final  scene  before  we  turn  away  from  this 
historic  spot,  the  last  scene  in  its  history,  and  splendid 
in  its  utter  despair.  Here,  at  the  last  siege  of  Con- 
stantinople by  the  Turks,  stout-hearted  Peter  Guliano 
and  his  gallant  Catalans  held  out  when  all  else  was 
lost. 

A  steep  incline  leads  from  the  beach,  past  little 
wooden  houses  perched  anywhere  against  the  ruined 
walls.  They  look  like  that  old  house — that  dear  old 
house — Hans  Andersen  speaks  of  in  the  shortest  of 
his  fairy  tales.  We  climb  up  the  steep  ascent,  and  at 
the  top  find  more  ruins — the  base  of  a  gigantic  marble 
pillar,  broken  arches  built  of  brick  and  glorious  in 
their  subdued  colour;  and  then — the  railway.  Yes, 
gentle  readers,  the  Roumelian  Railway,  to  give  it  its 
full  and  awesome  title.  And  we  must  follow  this  rail- 
way if  we  would  see  more  of  the  city  walls.  You 
may  walk  anywhere  you  like  along  the  single  track. 
A  little   pathway  winds   about   here  and   there   and 

109 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

everywhere,  and  on  either  hand  are  houses,  some 
of  wood,  some  more  pretentious,  scattered  about  with 
irregularity. 

Above  us  is  the  ridge  on  which  the  Hippodrome, 
theatre,  and  circus  used  to  stand  in  days  when  a  plea- 
sure-loving population  spent  time  and  money  in  much 
the  same  way  as  do  some  Western  nations  of  this  day. 
No  doubt  they  too  considered  themselves  sportsmen  ; 
no  doubt  they  too  danced  abject  attendance  and  stood 
numerous  dinners  to  the  stalwart  hero  who  was  awarded 
his  **  Blue  "  or  his  "  Green,"  as  the  case  might  be. 
And  as  to  some  forms  of  sport  in  those  days  of  the 
Byzantine  Empire,  we  have  already  given  account  of 
one  sportsman's  strenuous  day,  the  Emperor  Romanus, 
and  we  have  seen  how  his  wife  discouraged  his  pro- 
clivities, by  methods  effective,  but  far  too  drastic  for 
the  present  age. 

Ancient  chroniclers  make  mention  of  a  polo-ground, 
but  it  is  too  much  to  expect  such  very  learned  men  to 
tell  you  how  the  game  was  played.  Yet  this  concerns 
the  Author  and  Artist  nearly,  for  both  have  spent  much 
time  and  pleasantly  in  the  saddle.  No  doubt  the  game, 
under  whatever  rules,  was  extremely  picturesque ;  the 
life,  the  colour,  the  movement  of  horses  and  men  en- 
gaged in  such  a  keen  pursuit  can  never  fail  to  give  a 
series  of  brilliant  and  entrancing  pictures.     But  when 

no 


The  Walls  by  the  Sea  of  Marmora 

you  come  to  details !  No  trim  pigskin  saddles,  but 
possibly  some  coloured  bolsters,  with  loose  bits  of 
braid  or  tassels  for  adornment ;  no  doubt  bright- 
coloured  brow-bands — that  abomination!  And  then 
the  ball.  The  Artist  wonders  whether  it  was  painted 
the  colour  of  one  of  the  many  factions  that  made  up 
the  political  life  of  the  city — Blue,  Green,  or  Red — 
or  whether,  like  keen  sportsmen,  such  differences  were 
dropped  in  contests  of  this  kind. 

Undoubtedly  party  feeling  ran  high  when  races — 
chariot-races  chiefly — were  in  progress  at  the  Hippo- 
drome. These  Green  and  Blue  kept  up  a  continual 
wordy  warfare,  and  no  doubt  backed  their  own  fancy 
colour  with  the  same  indiscriminate  ardour  not  alto- 
gether unfamiliar  even  in  the  world's  greatest  Empire 
of  to-day.  And  here  again  another  likeness  presents 
itself,  for  the  games  were  played  and  contests  entered 
by  men  paid  to  show  their  skill,  while  thousands  sat 
and  watched,  shouted  advice,  or  yelled  their  disap- 
proval, though  quite  unable  and  unwilling  to  venture 
on  the  game  themselves. 

Of  fishing  there  is  no  mention  as  a  sport.  The 
Author  much  regrets  to  have  to  make  this  statement, 
as  he  would  have  liked  to  give  Walton's  disciples  of 
to-day  some  account  of  how  their  gentle  art  was  plied 
in  the  days  of  Old  Byzantium.    But  then  the  necessary 

III 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

implements  were  not  available,  for  the  West  had 
not  yet  swamped  the  East  with  cheap  manufactures 
and  easily-twisted  pins  in  penny  packets. 

The  Artist  has  watched  with  interest  gallant  at- 
tempts with  the  bent  pin  to  draw  fish  from  the  Bos- 
phorus.  The  small  boy  with  his  little  rod  so  evidently 
cut  by  himself,  and  one  sticky  little  hand  full  of  dead 
flies,  served  to  remind  the  Artist  of  his  own  efforts  in 
that  line.  Oh  the  unholy  joy  of  impaling  a  fat  blue- 
bottle on  the  point  of  that  bent  pin !  But  the  chief 
pleasure  of  this  form  of  sport  is  lacking  on  the  banks 
of  the  Bosphorus  ;  the  long  arm  of  the  law  does  not 
interfere,  and  so  the  charm  of  the  "  strictly  forbidden  " 
is  denied  you. 

A  noble  form  of  sport  was  practised  in  the  Middle 
Ages,  and  until  comparatively  recent  times  a  pastime 
that  has  given  rise  to  much  that  is  beautiful  in  poetry 
and  painting — the  art  of  falconry.  This  was  a  favour- 
ite pursuit  of  many  a  sultan,  this  and  hunting  with 
those  strong  hounds  whose  descendants  (though  to 
judge  from  their  appearance  one  can  scarcely  believe 
it)  now  roam  the  streets  of  Constantinople,  and  act  as 
rather  unsatisfactory  scavengers. 

A  mighty  sportsman  in  these  particulars  was 
Achmet  I,  who  reigned  in  the  beginning  of  the  seven- 
teenth century.     It  was  in  this  monarch's  reign  that 

112 


The  Walls  by  the  Sea  of  Marmora 

the  Turkish  theologians  propounded  a  peculiar  doctrine. 
Achmet  had  ordered  all  the  dogs  in  Constantinople  to 
be  transported  to  Scutari,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
Bosphorus,  with  an  allowance  of  bread  and  carrion  for 
their  maintenance.  By  a  later  decree  they  were  again 
removed,  this  time  to  an  island  sixteen  miles  away, 
where  they  all  perished  for  want  of  food.  The  lives 
of  dogs,  though  held  unclean  by  Turks,  were  deemed 
of  such  importance  that  the  Sultan  thought  fit  to  ask 
the  Mufti  whether  it  were  lawful  to  kill  them.  After 
due  deliberation  the  head  of  Islam  answered  (for  he 
can  give  no  fetvah  or  decree  unless  first  consulted) 
that  every  dog  had  a  soul,  and  therefore  it  was  not 
lawful  to  kill  them. 

What  subsequently  happened  to  the  dogs  is  not 
recorded  ;  some  legends  say  that  they  swam  back  to 
their  old  haunts,  and  incidentally  to  their  ladies,  who 
it  appears  had  not  been  exiled.  Certain  it  is  that  their 
lives  were  spared,  for  there  are  plenty  to  be  seen  every- 
where in  Old  Stamboul  and  its  neighbourhood,  for  of 
course  Achmet,  a  pious  Moslem,  would  not  disregard 
the  Mufti's  momentous  utterance. 

That  Achmet  was  a  pious  man  is  without  doubt  ; 
his  mosque  bears  witness  to  his  devotion,  a  mosque 
which  far  out-rivalled  that  of  St.  Sophia  in  the  splen- 
dour of  its  decoration,  though  it  is  somewhat  smaller. 
H  113 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

Great  treasures  were  spent  upon  this  mosque,  and 
neither  trouble  nor  expense  were  spared  to  make  it 
more  glorious  than  any  other.  But  Achmet  left  be- 
hind an  unpaid,  discontented  army  and  an  empty 
treasury,  having  grasped  the  secret  of  laying  up  for 
himself  treasure  in  heaven  by  the  ingenious  method  of 
robbing  other  people's  possessions  on  earth.  In  those 
days  East  and  West  drew  nearer  to  each  other  than 
heretofore.  Where  formerly  the  West  had  paid  sporadic 
visits  which  were  by  no  means  always  welcome,  com- 
merce had  begun  to  spread  its  tendrils,  and  found  the 
policy  of  Turkey  singularly  liberal.  So  all  the  greater 
nations  established  relations  on  that  friendly  basis  with 
the  Porte  ;  England,  France  and  Holland  had  each 
a  regularly  accredited  ambassador  at  the  Ottoman 
Court.  This  inaugurated  a  more  peaceful  method  of 
settling  disputes,  as,  for  example,  when  the  Moors  of 
Granada  brought  to  the  Sultan  their  grievance  against 
France,  telling  how,  in  their  passage  to  that  country 
on  being  expelled  from  Spain,  they  had  suffered  bodily 
harm  and  loss  of  goods.  A  chaus  or  ambassador  from 
Sultan  Achmet  to  Henry  IV  soon  set  matters  right 
without  resort  to  what  diplomats  call  the  ultima 
ratio.  While  on  the  subject  of  ambassadors  a  romantic 
story  should  be  told,  an  incident  which  nearly  disturbed 

the  peace  of  Europe. 

114 


The  Walls  by  the  Sea  of  Marmora 

Achmet  left  seven  sons,  all  infants,  into  whose  hands 
he  could  not  place  the  reins  of  government,  which  he 
himself  had  held  but  loosely.  On  his  accession  he  had 
not  found  it  necessary  to  clear  his  path  and  prevent 
further  trouble  by  the  usual  remedy  of  fratricide. 
His  only  brother,  Mustapha,  was  thoroughly  incom- 
petent, almost  an  idiot.  Yet  it  was  he  whom  Achmet 
declared  as  his  successor,  and  the  Mufti,  the  Ulema, 
the  high  college  of  priests,  and  the  high  officers  of 
State  approved  his  choice  and  placed  Mustapha  on 
the  throne.  In  all  his  acts  Mustapha  emphasized  his 
incapacity  to  rule,  and  one  of  them  went  near  to  cause 
a  rupture  with  France.     It  fell  out  thus. 

Two  captives  languished  in  the  dungeons  of  a  castle 
on  the  Black  Sea.  One  was  Prince  Koreski,  a  Pole, 
who  had  been  taken  prisoner  in  Moldavia  during  the 
last  reign,  and  was  confined  here  because  he  had 
refused  to  turn  Mahomedan.  The  other  who  shared 
Koreski's  cell  was  Rigault,  a  Frenchman,  who  kept 
up  a  clandestine  correspondence  with  a  fellow-country- 
man, Martin,  Secretary  to  the  French  Embassy  at 
Constantinople.  Now  Martin  loved  a  young  Polish 
lady,  who  with  her  mother  and  her  maid  was  held 
prisoner  by  the  Turks.  Martin  succeeded  in  pur- 
chasing the  freedom  of  these  ladies  by  a  payment  to 
the  Sultan  of  two  thousand  five  hundred  crowns.  But 
H  2  115 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

when  the  ladies  returned  to  their  home  in  Poland  the 
father  refused  to  accede  to  the  arrangement  and 
practically  forbade  the  banns.  So  in  his  trouble  Martin 
confided  all  to  his  friend  Rigault,  who  in  his  turn 
told  all  to  the  Prince.  Now  Koreski  was  a  man  of 
great  influence  in  his  own  country,  and  told  Rigault  to 
assure  his  friend  that  if  their  escape  from  prison  could 
be  managed,  Martin  should  not  pine  long  for  his 
lady-love. 

So  Martin  set  to  work  right  eagerly.  A  Greek 
priest  who  went  to  visit  the  prisoners  concealed  under 
his  garments  a  long  piece  of  pack-thread,  and  by  these 
means  the  captives  gained  their  freedom.  Mustapha's 
police  sought  diligently,  but  only  managed  to  discover 
Martin's  share  in  the  transaction,  so  the  whole  French 
Embassy  were  put  under  arrest.  The  ambassador 
was  confined  in  the  Grand  Vizier's  Palace,  Rigault  and 
the  domestics  were  put  to  the  torture. 

The  protests  of  the  English  and  Dutch  ambas- 
sadors failed  to  move  Mustapha,  and  it  was  only 
through  large  donations  to  the  chief  officers  of  State 
that  the  French    Embassy  was  set  at  liberty. 

While  listening  to  the  tales  the  Author  has  to 
tell,  our  travellers  have  picked  their  way  along  the 
railway-line,  and  have  threaded  in  and  out  among 
the  picturesque   inhabitants   of    this   quarter.      Here 

ii6 


I  he  Walls  by  the   b. 

stand  broken   arches,  looph 
there  remnants  of  massive   walls  w 
tv  L,  or  perhaps  little  wooden  ho 
V        ivith   their  latticed   windows 
<?m  one  sees  gardens,  where  pari 
'  least  fulfilled^  for  every  man  has 
is  we  walk  on  these  remains,  t 
altogether,  for  ht 


a  haLtb 


-sand-gate- 


The  Sea  Wall. 

These  remnants  of  massive  walls  with  battlemented  summits, 
or  perhaps  little  wooden  houses  are  perched  on  top. 

of  Homer,  the  latter  iiiirc.n 
V*  n.       Perhaps  it  w 
for  Basil  I  from 
matron  of  Peluj;u 
'vn.     Doubtlesi. 
:    the    Grecian 
rantium    must 
117 


i 


The  Walls  by  the  Sea  of  Marmora 

stand  broken  arches,  loopholes  looking  out  to  sea  ; 
there  remnants  of  massive  walls  with  battlemented 
summits,  or  perhaps  little  wooden  houses  are  perched 
on  top,  with  their  latticed  windows ;  while  beneath 
them  one  sees  gardens,  where  part  of  a  prophecy  is 
at  least  fulfilled,  for  every  man  has  his  own  fig-tree. 
And  as  we  walk  on  these  remains,  the  walls  recede 
inland  and  disappear  altogether,  for  here  was  formerly 
a  harbour,  and  the  name  of  the  station  we  are  passing, 
Koum  Kapoussi — sand-gate — was  given  to  the  gate 
that  opened  out  on  the  harbour  of  the  Kontoscalion. 
A  fair-sized  harbour  too,  now  all  silted  up  and  built 
over. 

What  life  and  bustle  was  here  in  the  days  of  old 
Byzant,  those  days  of  the  great  traders  from  the  East, 
West  and  South.  And  what  stores  of  treasure  were 
landed  at  this  spot.  Work  from  the  looms  of  Greece 
was  stapled  here,  manufacturers  of  linen,  woollen  and 
silk — the  former  industries  which  had  flourished  since 
the  days  of  Homer,  the  latter  introduced  about  the 
time  of  Justinian.  Perhaps  it  was  here  that  those 
rich  gifts  arrived  for  Basil  I  from  his  generous  friend, 
Danielis,  the  rich  matron  of  Peloponnesus,  who  had 
adopted  him  as  her  own.  Doubtless  the  goods  she 
sent  were  products  of  the  Grecian  looms.  Even 
an     Emperor     of     Byzantium    must    have     greeted 

117 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

with  pleased  astonishment  the  beauty  of  the  pre- 
sents sent  by  his  friend.  A  carpet  large  enough  to 
overspread  the  floor  of  a  new  church,  woven  of  fine 
wool  and  cunningly  designed  to  represent  and  rival 
the  brilliant  eyes  that  adorn  the  peacock's  tail.  Of 
silk  and  linen  each  six  hundred  pieces,  the  latter  so 
exquisitely  fine  that  an  entire  piece  might  be  rolled 
into  the  hollow  of  a  cane,  the  silk  dyed  with 
Tyrian  crimson,  and  the  whole  ornamented  with  fair 
needlework. 

Duties  were  raised  on  all  the  goods  that  entered, 
and  went  towards  suggesting  the  splendour  of  the 
Emperor  and  his  Court.  It  is  not  possible  to  accurately 
compute  the  value  of  the  goods  and  the  vast  sums 
they  realized,  but  at  least  one  traveller  of  experience 
was  much  impressed  by  what  he  witnessed  here.  A 
Jew,  and  therefore  no  mean  authority  on  pecuniary 
matters,  one  Benjamin  of  Tudela,  speaks  of  the 
riches  of  Byzantium,  which  he  visited  in  the  twelfth 
century — 

*'  It  is  here  in  the  Queen  of  Cities  that  the  tributes 
of  the  Greek  Empire  are  annually  deposited,  and  the 
lofty  towers  are  filled  with  precious  magazines  of  silk, 
purple  and  gold.  It  is  said  that  Constantinople  pays 
each  day  to  her  sovereign  20,000  pieces  of  gold,  which 
are  levied  on  the  shops,  taverns,  and  markets,  on  the 

118 


The  Walls  by  the  Sea  of  Marmora 

merchants  of  Persia  and  Egypt,  of  Russia  and  Hun- 
gary, of  Italy  and  Spain,  who  frequent  the  capital  by 
sea  and  land."  Nowadays  the  main  source  of  public 
revenue  is  the  crushing  import  duty  on  all  new  articles 
of  II  per  cent.,  soon  with  the  consent  of  the  powers 
to  be  raised  to  15.  Until  recently  every  Turkish 
subject  resident  in  the  capital  paid  also  a  capitation 
tax  in  lieu  of  the  military  service,  which  is  now  to  be 
endured  by  all  alike  who  cannot  pay  an  exemption 
fee  of  /50. 

We  walk  on  but  a  little  further  along  the  line,  still 
past  ruined  walls  and  towers,  and  come  to  yet  another 
gate,  Yedi  Kapoussi,  or  New  Gate.  This  was  the 
entrance  to  a  very  ancient  harbour — the  oldest,  it  is 
said,  along  this  stretch  of  coast.  Its  origin  is  ascribed 
to  Eleutherius,  who  was  one  of  the  first  to  see  this 
city  rise.  The  site  of  the  harbour  is  now  entirely 
covered,  and  market-gardens  are  to  be  seen  where 
formerly  war-galleys  sought  refuge  from  enemies  or 
elements. 

It  is  not  certain  at  what  date  this  harbour  was 
abandoned,  but  it  had  happened  before  the  final 
assault  by  Mahomed  the  Conqueror.  The  difficulty 
of  keeping  this  harbour  dredged  must  have  been  very 
considerable,  for  not  only  does  the  sea  constantly 
cast  sand  along  this  coast,  but  just  here  the  Lycus, 

119 


The  Walls  of   Constantinople 

an  historic  stream,  empties  its  waters  into  the  Sea  of 
Marmora,  and  deposits  at  its  mouth  an  ever-increasing 
burden  of  rich  mud  washed  down  from  above. 

According  to  tradition  the  harbour  of  Eleutherius 
served  not  only  for  the  safety  of  the  Empire's  ships  of 
war,  but  also  as  an  entrance  to  the  slave-market,  which 
is  said  to  have  been  somewhere  in  this  neighbourhood. 
It  is  too  sad,  sadder  than  all  the  tales  of  cunning 
intrigue,  ferocious  crime  and  unscrupulous  ambitions 
which  make  up  so  large  a  portion  of  the  history 
enacted  behind  these  city  walls,  to  remember  the  vast 
multitude  of  human  beings  bartered  here  like  the 
beasts  of  the  field.  Innocent  victims  of  misfortune 
were  sold  here,  and  many  families  must  have  met, 
possibly  for  the  last  time  on  earth,  in  this  ghastly  and 
degrading  place,  while  captives  that  had  escaped  the 
sword  in  some  bloody  war  of  conquest  or  reprisal 
were  here  put  up  to  auction,  to  be  led  away  by  their 
new  masters  and  die  in  hopeless  misery. 

But  that  sombre  vision  vanishes  too  under  the  sun 
that  draws  such  brilliant  colours  from  the  ruined  walls 
that  so  long  sheltered  this  chartered  and  unchallenged 
iniquity,  and  we  move  onward  by  a  laughing  sea 
towards  the  west,  turning  south  by  a  point  or  two  as 
we  leave  the  harbour  of  Eleutherius  behind  us. 

We  linger  for  a  minute  at  the  Gate  of  Psamathia 

1 20 


The  Walls  by  the  Sea  of  Marmora 

— sand-gate  again — and  look  out  across  the  sea  from  a 
shady  Turkish  caf6  standing  on  a  small  spit  of  land 
that  shelters  a  tiny  harbour  to  westward.  Here  are  a 
number  of  those  craft  that  we  have  seen  flying  down 
the  Bosphorus  under  full  sail.  The  leisurely  pro- 
cess of  unloading  is  going  forward,  and  stacks  of  wood 
are  piled  up  carelessly  and  anywhere  without  undue 
hurry,  while  nimble-footed  donkeys  thread  their  way 
amongst  the  merchandise,  and  the  driver  follows  sunk 
in  his  Eastern  reverie.  And  everywhere  are  dogs 
lounging  together  in  little  knots  like  elderly  gentlemen 
in  a  clrb  smoking-room  (and  always  in  the  way), 
taking  no  interest  in  anything  save  the  adventurous 
flies,  and  only  giving  an  occasional  languid  snap  at 
them. 

From  here  we  thread  our  way  through  a  maze  of 
little  narrow  lanes  of  quaint  wooden  houses  teeming 
with  life  and  colour.  Here  at  a  street  corner  a  modest 
general  store,  showing  some  melons  in  their  thick 
green  coats,  one  with  a  large  slice  cut  out  by  way  of 
charity  or  advertisement,  the  green  skin  merging  from 
pale  lemon  to  a  delicious  crimson.  Near  these  a 
basketful  of  ripe  tomatoes  in  their  flaring  red,  con- 
trasting strongly  with  the  golden  green  of  luscious 
grapes  exposed  for  sale  on  delicate  pink  paper ;  yet  all 
these  colours  harmonize,  and  in  the  cool  depths  of  the 

121 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

background  the  owner  sits  and  drowses  cross-legged, 
amid  all  their  glory. 

As  we  continue  on  our  way  we  lose  sight  of  these 
ancient  sea-walls,  for  we  have  to  turn  inland  awhile 
and  follow  the  high-road  that  leads  out  into  the  open 
country.  But  now  and  then  we  see  between  the 
houses  a  glimpse  of  high  towers  and  battlements  in 
front  of  us.  We  turn  down  from  the  high-road,  recross 
the  railway-line,  and  find  ourselves  again  amongst 
imposing  ruins.  Standing  out  boldly  is  a  fine  tower, 
almost  intact.  As  we  draw  nearer  to  it  we  understand 
how  it  came  by  its  name,  for  this  is  the  Marble  Tower. 
It  is  a  building  of  four  storeys,  constructed  from  the 
topmost  string  course  downwards  of  large  marble 
blocks,  its  white  and  gleaming  foundations  washed  by 
the  blue  waters  of  the  Sea  of  Marmora.  To  eastward, 
and  joined  on  to  the  Tower,  stands  a  two-storied  mass 
of  masonry,  with  deep-arched  window  looking  out  to 
sea.  These  are  the  ruins  of  a  castle  that  stood  here 
to  mark  the  place  where  sea-  and  land-walls  joined. 
Most  probably  it  was  the  residence  of  some  high 
military  officer.  Surely  a  pleasant  place  to  live  in, 
strong  and  secure,  with  a  spacious  courtyard  and  perhaps 
a  shady  garden  therein. 

Or  more  likely  still,  this  space,  now  a  market- 
garden,    was    the    scene    of   military    life    for    many 

122 


■*'*"-'*T-r... 


^f 


{  ylblod    iuo  gnibnBtS 


The    Marble    Tower. 

Standing  out    boldly  is    a   fine  tower,  almost  intact.     This 
is  the  Marble  Tower. 


The  Walls  by  the  Sea  of  Marmora 

centuries ;  here  the  heavy-armed  infantry  of  Roman 
tradition  made  way  for  lighter  troops  whose  dexterity 
replaced  the  armour  they  had  abandoned. 

What  discussions  must  have  taken  place  when  news 
came  that  a  powder  had  been  invented  in  the  West,  a 
powder  which  could  hurl  stones  and  leaden  shot  with 
greater  impetus  than  any  engines  then  in  use,  that  a 
breast-plate  and  helmet  and  even  stone  walls  were  no 
protection  against  this  deadly  stuff.  And  the  sentry 
pacing  the  ramparts  on  his  lonely  post  at  night  would 
ruminate  upon  this  matter,  and  wonder  what  power  of 
evil  could  let  loose  a  force  capable  of  destroying  both 
the  stout  walls  under  him  and  that  fair  marble  gleam- 
ing white  in  the  light  of  the  moon.  Probably  with  the 
simple  faith  of  his  time  he  laid  the  whole  matter  at  the 
door  of  Satan  himself,  and  his  chosen  agents — the 
workers  of  black  magic — and  no  doubt  glanced  fear- 
fully out  to  sea  and  crossed  himself  piously  when  he 
realized  how  much  influence  these  unpleasant  people 
still  possessed  even  in  a  Christian  world  which  caused 
:hem  to  be  burned  on  the  barest  suspicion  of  such 
malpractices. 

Moon  and  stars  and  the  plashing  waves  are  now 
:he  only  guardians  of  these  walls. 


123 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE    GOLDEN    GATE 

A  SMALL,  deep-arched  postern  leads  our  travellers 
out  of  the  precincts  of  the  ruins  that  surround  the 
Marble  Tower.  The  masonry  above  the  postern 
bears  inscriptions  dating  back  to  the  days  when 
several  emperors  reigned  together.  Basil  II  and 
Constantine  IX,  who  have  been  already  mentioned 
in  connection  with  the  Palace  of  Justinian,  left  records 
of  their  reign  upon  this  section  of  the  walls.  The 
postern  leads  us  outside  the  city  walls,  and  as  we  turn 
for  a  last  glance  at  the  Marble  Tower  and  the  wonder- 
ful view  it  commands,  we  notice  a  strange  Byzantine 
device  carved  on  its  keystone. 

A  narrow  tongue  of  land  runs  out  into  the  sea  just 
here,  and  under  its  lee  the  cargo  of  several  small 
sailing  craft  is  being  leisurely  brought  ashore,  for 
staring  us  in  the  face  is  commercial  enterprise  and 
all  it  entails  in  the  shape  of  a  tannery.  Here  in 
former  days  was  open  country  which  many  a  time  had 
witnessed  thrilling  scenes.     For  at  this  small  harbour 

124 


.!>^.»  -f  * 


,*-'• 


V 


'^Ma  .11  JieAH 


HTO.TJO'3'7' 


•  t 


*1r" 


.''7-' 


lers 


vay    uDov-  poster.  J 

oe.  r;piions    aauag    t>ack    to    the   aays    when 

se\  iperors    reigned    together.      Basil    II    and 

CoiK,f  -"^      , "  -■'    ^'^'i:'T^:c^rTV'  .^v?ntioned 

Postern,  with  Inscriptions  of  Basil  11.  and 

til  COUiifZ^Klx.ni.    vkj.      CONSTANTINE    IX.  "'"COrcJS 

A  small/ deep-arched  postern   leads   out   of  the    precincts^^"- 
of  the  ruins  that  surround  the  Marble  Tower.  .,      ...... 

vonder- 


Here  in 
time  had 


The  Golden  Gate 

the  hero  of  a  victorious  campaign  in  Asia  Minor  was 
wont  to  land,  and  with  him  his  troops.  Spoils  taken 
in  the  war  were  stacked  and  hapless  prisoners  paraded 
to  follow  in  procession  through  the  Golden  Gate  at  the 
conqueror's  chariot  wheels.  From  this  harbour  the 
Turkish  fleet  of  305  vessels  attempted  to  cut  off 
the  five  gallant  ships  that  brought  provisions  from  the 
island  of  Scio  to  the  city  during  the  last  siege  ;  these 
managed  to  force  their  way  to  the  Golden  Horn. 

The  sentry  on  the  ramparts  over  the  postern  we 
have  left  behind  us,  looking  over  this  rolling  plain, 
would  see  the  glittering  domes  and  pinnacles  of  yet 
another  lordly  place  away  on  the  curving  sea-coast — the 
palace  of  the  Hebdomon.  This,  it  appears,  served  as 
a  rustic  retreat  for  the  emperors  of  the  East.  Im- 
portant functions  took  place  there,  for  here  Valens  was 
inaugurated  as  colleague  of  his  brother,  the  Emperor 
Valentine,  and  proclaimed  Augustus.  And  others 
followed  him,  such  as  Arcadius  and  Honorius,  raised 
to  imperial  rank  by  Theodosius  the  Great,  Leo  the 
Great  and  Leo  the  Armenian,  and  he  with  whose 
fate  we  became  familiar  when  talking  of  Theophane, 
Nicephorus  II  Phocas. 

But  we  will  hasten  away  from  that  malodorous 
evidence  of  progress,  the  tannery,  for  we  are  strongly 
drawn  towards  those  towering  ruins  gleaming  through 

125 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

the  dark  cypresses.  We  cross  the  railway-line  and 
note  where  it  has  cut  a  path  through  the  ancient 
defences  of  Byzantium. 

Climbing  a  bank,  we  reach  a  little  Turkish 
cemetery,  its  weird  and  tumbling  tombstones  shaded 
by  those  solemn,  watchful  cypress-trees.  Now  look 
towards  the  walls :  between  us  and  them  is  a  deep 
fosse,  where  fig-trees  grow  and  throw  out  their  twisted 
branches  as  if  to  protect  these  ancient  ramparts  from 
crumbling  further  to  decay.  Ivy  in  dense  dark  masses 
clings  to  the  crenulated  scarp,  and  beyond  that  a  broad 
roadway,  all  neglected,  rises  in  gentle  gradient  till  it 
turns  sharply  towards  an  archway,  guarded  on  either 
hand  by  massive  towers  built  of  blocks  of  polished 
marble. 

This  is  the  Golden  Gate,  the  "  Porta  Aurea "  of 
so  many  glorious  moments  in  the  life  of  Constantine's 
great  city. 

Here  the  procession  that  had  formed  on  the  plain 
down  by  the  harbour  made  its  triumphal  entry,  and 
worthy  was  this  monument  in  those  days  to  serve  as 
frame  to  a  conquering  Augustus.  Walls  and  towers 
were  crowned  with  parapets,  over  which  glittered  the 
glint  of  armour  and  the  flashing  light  of  spear-heads. 
The  gates,  too,  were  all  on  fire  with  the  precious 
metal  from  which  its  name  comes,  though  it  now  lives 

126 


:^- 


feoflH  ,staO  ,  wacf joO  igift 


«-«■—   1        *Ttf%K.  (/^.-I        ^%  r4  i 


i  u 


ihe   an : 

kish 


>rts  iroiii 


tur  THitjOLDEN  Gate,  fro^  South-West.'   '' 

This  is  the  Golden  Gate,  the  "  Porta  Aurea  "  of  so  many 
glorious  moments  in  the  life  of  Constantine's  great  city. 


towers 

red  the 


:''//o,_ 


The  Golden  Gate 

only  in  memory.  Statues  and  sculptured  ornaments 
added  to  the  splendour  of  which  the  only  traces  now 
to  be  seen  are  some  remains  of  marble  cornices,  and, 
at  the  south-western  angle  of  the  northern  tower,  a 
Roman  eagle  with  wings  outspread  in  solitary 
grandeur. 

The  Golden  Gate  had  three  archways,  of  which  the 
central  one  was  loftier  and  wider,  like  those  more 
familiar  to  us  in  the  Roman  Forum.  These  were 
dedicated  to  Severus  and  Constantine  respectively, 
and  the  gilded  gates  of  these  three  arches  were  those 
of  Mompseueste,  placed  here  by  Nicephorus  Phocas  to 
commemorate  his  victorious  campaign  in  Cilicia. 

Of  all  the  many  works  of  art  that  went  to  decorate 
the  Golden  Gate  no  traces  but  those  just  mentioned 
can  be  found ;  but  there  are  records  of  them,  and 
some  are  strange  reading — for  instance,  the  transac- 
tions between  an  English  ambassador  to  the  Porte 
from  1621-28,  Sir  Thomas  Rowe  and  the  "Great 
Treasurer."  Good  Sir  Thomas,  it  appears,  had  men- 
tioned in  his  dispatches  that  two  bas-reliefs  which 
figured  here  were  really  well  worthy  of  note.  This 
led  to  another  English  gentleman,  a  Mr.  Petty,  being 
sent  to  Constantinople  to  see  to  the  removal  of  these 
treasures  to  the  Earl  of  Arundel,  who  sought  to  share 
them  with  the  Duke  of  Buckingham.     Much  English 

127 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

gold  changed  hands  and  found  its  way  into  the  hungry- 
pockets  of  the  Great  Treasurer,  who,  like  all  other 
Turkish  high  officials  before  and  since,  had  frequent 
and  pressing  need  of  money,  and  was  not  plagued 
with  petty  scruples  as  to  the  means  employed  to 
obtain  it.  The  bargain  was  completed  and  all 
arrangements  made,  but  at  the  last  moment,  when 
it  came  to  removing  these  marbles,  the  populace,  under 
the  castellan  of  the  castle,  rose  in  mutiny.  The 
precious  life  of  the  Great  Treasurer  was  in  danger, 
and  as  he  had  probably  pouched  the  money  by  that 
time,  he  discovered  it  to  be  quite  impossible  to  carry 
out  his  part  of  the  contract,  at  least  for  the  present ; 
and  stout  Sir  Thomas  reported  to  head-quarters  in 
these  words,  "So  I  despair  to  effect  therein  your 
grace's  service,  and  it  is  true,  though  I  could  not  get 
the  stones,  yet  I  allmost  raised  an  insurrection  in  that 
part  of  the  cytty." 

We  are  standing  now  before  the  ruined  remains  of 
this,  the  culminating  point  of  many  a  page  of  glorious 
achievement  in  the  history  of  the  Eastern  capital. 
But  let  us  now  regard  it  with  the  eye  of  retrospection  ; 
let  the  past  ages  envelop  the  broken,  ivy-covered 
monument  and  restore  it  to  us  in  its  pristine  glory,  for 
we,  too,  would  take  part  in  the  splendid  pageant  that 
once  animated  this  now-deserted  stronghold. 

128 


The  Golden  Gate 

So  we  go  back  into  the  depth  of  time  from  which 
perchance  we  issued.  The  fourth  century  of  the 
Christian  era  is  big  with  the  names  of  those  who 
stamped  themselves  upon  their  time  for  good  or  evil, 
and  thus  the  capital  of  the  Eastern  Empire  owes  its 
second  birth  to  one  whose  glorious  name  is  writ  large 
upon  the  scroll  of  fame — to  Constantine  the  Great. 
Second  only  to  Constantine  in  this  succession  of  rulers 
of  the  Eastern  Empire  comes  Theodosius  I,  also  called 
Great,  and  rightly  so,  for  Constantinople  owes  to  him 
a  debt  almost  as  great  as  to  the  second  founder  of  the 
Imperial  City.  Constantine  gave  to  this  city  a  new 
lease  of  life,  and  Theodosius  insured  it  against  capture 
by  assault  for  many  centuries  ;  for  all  those  strong 
defences,  the  remains  of  which,  some  broken  beyond 
recognition,  others  practically  intact,  extend  from  the 
Golden  Gate  to  the  Golden  Horn,  are  a  lasting 
monument  to  the  Theodosian  dynasty. 

This  Golden  Gate  itself  is  said  to  have  been 
erected  by  Theodosius  to  celebrate  his  victory  over 
a  formidable  rival ;  and  to  enter  fully  into  sympathy 
with  the  great  incidents  this  monument  has  witnessed, 
let  us  take  note  of  the  events  that  led  Theodosius  both 
to  the  Imperial  Purple  and  the  towering  place  he  holds 
in  the  history  of  the  world. 

The  final  separation  into  East  and  West  of  Rome's 
I  129 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

Imperial  power  had  not  yet  taken  place,  and  Gratlan 
was  emperor.  The  latter  years  of  his  reign  were  hard 
and  full  of  troubles.  Northern  Barbarians  ravaged  the 
provinces  of  Rome  at  their  will,  and  none  seemed 
capable  of  checking  their  savage  onslaughts.  The 
legions  of  the  Roman  army  had  time  after  time  failed 
of  their  old  tradition,  and  had  so  often  been  van- 
quished that  they  held  their  foes  to  be  invincible. 
Fiercest  of  all  these  fierce  foemen  were  the  Goths, 
and  it  was  they  who  caused  the  most  distress.  Valens 
had  fallen  in  the  battle  of  Hadrianople,  and  with  him 
two-thirds  of  the  Roman  army ;  the  rest  had  barely 
effected  their  escape  under  cover  of  night.  The 
Roman  Empire  was  in  sore  straits ;  the  Goths  were 
flushed  with  their  victory,  and  likely  to  take  advantage 
of  it. 

Five  months  after  the  death  of  Valens  the  Emperor 
Gratian  did  a  deed  perhaps  unparalleled.  He  sent 
for  Theodosius,  presented  him  to  the  troops,  who 
acclaimed  him  as  Augustus,  and  invested  him  with  the 
Imperial  purple.  The  strangeness  of  this  act  lies  in 
the  history  that  precedes  it.  Theodosius  the  Elder, 
father  of  the  new  emperor,  had  but  three  years  before 
been  put  to  death  unjustly  and  with  ignominy  by 
Gratian's  orders,  and  his  son  banished.  So  Gratian's 
messengers  found  Theodosius  managing  his  estates  in 

130 


The  Golden  Gate 

Spain.  They  gave  him  their  message,  and  forthwith 
the  emperor-elect  proceeded  to  his  new  duties  imposed 
on  him  by  one  whose  keen  discernment  found  the 
right  man  in  the  time  of  need,  and  whose  sense  of 
right  had  sought  the  way  towards  redeeming  a  terrible 
injustice. 

Theodosius  was  thirty-three  years  of  age  when  he 
ascended  the  throne  of  the  eastern  division  of  the 
Roman  Empire.  In  grace  and  manly  beauty,  in  his 
qualities  of  heart  and  intellect,  contemporaries  held 
him  to  outshine  Trajan.  Like  other  military  heroes — 
Alexander,  Hannibal  and  the  second  Africanus — he 
had  been  trained  young  in  the  profession  of  arms 
under  the  stern  discipline  of  his  own  father.  Even 
at  this  early  age  he  had  gained  renown  for  valour  in 
the  field,  where  his  experiences  had  been  many  and 
varied.  He  had  fought  against  the  Scots  in  their 
inclement  climate,  had  heard  the  war-cry  of  the  Saxons 
echoing  among  the  primeval  forests  of  Germany,  and 
faced  the  Moors  under  the  fierce  power  of  southern 
suns. 

He  was  now  called  upon  to  meet  Rome's  most 
dreaded  foes,  those  mighty  Goths,  who,  as  their  king 
said,  drove  the  Roman  legions  like  sheep  before  them. 
Theodosius  showed  no  impetuous  haste  to  gain  new 
laurels  for  his  own  adornment.     Rather,  he  bided  his 

I  2  131 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

time,  placed  his  troops  cunningly,  and  kept  himself  so 
well  informed  that  whenever  an  opportunity  offered  of 
attacking  a  small  force  of  the  enemy  in  superior 
numbers,  or  from  some  vantage  ground,  he  would 
seize  it,  and  always  proved  successful.  Thus  he 
restored  the  confidence  of  his  troops,  who  now  no 
longer  believed  the  Goths  to  be  invincible.  In  this 
manner  Theodosius  had  already  earned  his  title  as 
Great  as  a  firm  and  faithful  servant  of  the  Republic. 

His  statecraft  helped  him  further  in  his  plans  for 
the  welfare  of  the  Empire,  of  which  a  considerable 
portion  was  now  under  his  control,  for  Dacia  and 
Macedonia  were  added  to  the  Eastern  Empire,  which 
consisted  then  of  Thrace,  Asia  and  Egypt. 

The  death  of  Fritigern,  who  had  held  together  the 
Barbarian  alliance  of  Eastern  and  Western  Goths, 
Huns  and  Alani,  was  another  factor  which  Theodosius 
knew  well  how  to  take  into  account.  Once  the  bonds 
of  the  alliance  loosened,  and  the  different  parties  to  it 
went  different  ways,  the  jealousy  of  Ostrogoths  and 
Visigoths  revived,  and  made  it  possible  to  win  the 
services  of  one  or  other  discontented  leader.  The 
aged  Athanaric  collected  many  of  Fritigern's  subjects 
round  him,  and  with  them  listened  to  a  fair  proposal 
of  an  honourable  and  advantageous  treaty.  Theo- 
dosius met  him  outside  the  city  walls,  invited  him  to 

132 


The  Golden  Gate 

enter,  and  here  entertained  him  with  the  confidence  of 
a  friend  and  the  magnificence  of  a  monarch.  Athanaric 
marvelled  at  all  the  wondrous  things  he  saw,  and, 
according  to  the  chronicler  Jornandes,  exclaimed, 
**  Indeed,  the  Emperor  of  the  Romans  is  a  god  upon 
earth ;  and  the  presumptuous  man  who  dares  to  lift 
his  hand  against  him  is  guilty  of  his  own  blood." 

The  Gothic  king  did  not  live  long  to  enjoy  the 
friendship  of  Theodosius,  though  his  death  was  pro- 
bably of  greater  advantage  to  the  Emperor  than  his 
alliance  might  have  proved  to  be.  Athanaric  was 
buried  with  all  proper  ceremony,  a  monument  was 
erected  to  his  memory,  and  his  whole  army  enlisted 
under  the  standard  of  the  Roman  Empire.  In  conse- 
quence of  the  submission  of  so  great  a  body  as  the 
Visigoths,  other  independent  chieftains  followed,  and 
four  years  had  barely  elapsed  since  the  defeat  and 
death  of  Valens  when  the  final  and  complete  capitu- 
lation of  the  Goths  was  an  accomplished  fact. 

The  Ostrogoths,  however,  went  their  own  way. 
They  left  the  banks  of  the  Danube  to  visit  other 
countries,  where,  having  made  themselves  extremely 
unpopular,  they  returned  after  many  years  to  their 
former  haunts,  reinforced  by  many  of  the  fiercest 
warriors  of  Germany  and  Scythia.  Theodosius,  by 
skilful  tactics,  brought  about  their  destruction.     His 

133 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

spies  had  spread  among  the  Goths  a  rumour  that  the 
Roman  camp  could,  on  a  certain  night,  be  easily  taken 
by  surprise.  One  moonless  night  the  whole  multitude 
of  Goths  hastily  embarked  in  3000  dug-outs,  and  set 
out  to  reach  the  southern  bank  of  the  river,  certain  of 
finding  an  easy  landing  and  assailing  an  unguarded 
camp.  But  they  found  an  insuperable  obstacle  in  a 
triple  line  of  vessels  strongly  bound  one  to  another ; 
and  while  they  yet  struggled  to  find  a  way  out  of  this 
difficulty,  a  fleet  of  galleys  bore  down  the  stream  upon 
them,  vigorous  rowing  giving  them  irresistible  impetus. 
The  valour  of  the  Barbarians  was  all  in  vain  ;  Alatheus 
their  king  perished  in  the  fray,  together  with  the  flower 
of  his  army,  either  by  the  swords  of  the  Romans  or 
in  the  waters  of  the  Danube.  Those  who  escaped 
surrendered  and  became  Roman  subjects. 

The  Goths  soon  settled  in  the  Empire,  the  Visi- 
goths in  Thrace,  the  remnant  of  the  Ostrogoths  in 
Phrygia  and  Lydia,  while  many  took  service  under 
the  Roman  eagles.  They  were  allowed  to  retain  their 
own  free  government,  but  the  royal  dignity  was  abol- 
ished, and  their  kings  and  chieftains  ranked  as  generals, 
to  be  appointed  and  removed  at  the  royal  pleasure. 
Under  the  name  of  Foederati  40,000  Goths  were  main- 
tained for  the  perpetual  service  of  the  East ;  they  were 
distinguished  by  their  golden  collars,  liberal  pay,  and 

^34 


The  Golden  Gate 

licentious  privileges.  So  here  we  find  the  walls  of 
Constantinople  guarded  by  its  former  enemies,  while 
the  population  lose  more  and  more  of  the  military- 
spirit  of  ancient  Rome.  No  love  was  lost,  we  fancy, 
between  the  citizens  of  Old  Byzantium  and  these 
haughty  Barbarians.  Indeed,  one  old  chronicler  relates 
how  the  city  was  deprived  for  half  a  day  of  the  public 
allowance  of  bread,  to  expiate  the  murder  of  a  Gothic 
soldier.  There  is  no  record  of  how  many  Greek 
citizens  a  Barbarian  guardsman  was  allowed  to  murder 
if  he  thought  fit  to  do  so ;  probably  statistics  would  be 
striking. 

No  doubt  the  idea  was  that  a  fine  blend  of  races 
might  thus  be  induced,  an  idea  that  has  occurred  to 
other  conquerors  and  has  not  always  proved  successful. 
So  in  this  case  :  the  Goths,  it  was  supposed,  would 
acquire  habits  of  industry  and  obedience,  while  Chris- 
tianity and  education  smoothed  over  the  very  apparent 
roughness  of  their  disposition. 

Though  gratitude  is  a  virtue  that  is  generally 
attributed  to  Barbarians  and  denied  to  highly  civilized 
races,  the  Goths  made  no  signal  display  of  it,  and 
from  time  to  time  deserted  in  large  bodies  to  make  the 
neighbouring  provinces  unhappy.  Thus  on  one  occa- 
sion, when  their  services  were  particularly  required  in 
a  civil  war  against   Maximus,   the   Goths  considered 

135 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

that  the  time  had  come  for  a  little  private  entertain- 
ment. They  therefore  retired  to  the  morasses  of 
Macedonia,  and  indulged  in  a  course  of  quite  unneces- 
sary outrage.  It  required  the  presence  of  the  Emperor 
himself  to  persuade  them  to  return  to  their  allegiance. 
Some  attributed  these  alarums  and  excursions  to  the 
sudden  rise  of  the  barbaric  passion,  to  which  a  strong, 
undisciplined  race  is  always  prone.  But  others  main- 
tain that  there  was  much  method  in  their  madness,  and 
that  these  outbursts  were  the  result  of  deep  and  long- 
premeditated  design,  for  it  was  generally  believed  that 
when  the  Goths  had  signed  the  treaty  binding  them 
to  peace  and  service,  they  had  previously  sworn  never 
to  keep  faith  with  Romans,  and  to  neglect  no  oppor- 
tunity favourable  to  revenge.  The  second  opinion 
seems  to  have  been  formed  on  quite  sufficient  grounds, 
and  one  occurrence  tends  to  prove  it.  Two  factions 
there  were  among  the  Goths  :  the  one  led  by  Fravitta, 
a  valiant,  honourable  youth,  considered  itself  friendly 
to  peace,  to  justice,  and  to  the  interests  of  Rome ; 
the  other  and  more  numerous  faction  asserted  Its 
independence  under  a  fierce  and  passionate  leader — 
Priulf. 

On  one  occasion,  when  a  solemn  festival  had 
gathered  all  the  great  officers  of  State  together,  Priulf 
and  Fravitta,  having  according  to  the  custom  of  their 

136 


The  Golden  Gate 

race  duly  overheated  themselves  with  wine,  forgot  the 
usual  restraints  of  discretion  and  respect,  and  betrayed 
in  the  presence  of  Theodosius  the  secrets  of  their 
domestic  disputes.  The  meeting  ended  in  tumult. 
Theodosius  was  compelled  to  dismiss  his  guests.  Fra- 
vitta,  exasperated  by  his  rivals  insolence,  followed 
him,  drew  his  sword  and  slew  him.  Priulfs  com- 
panions flew  to  arms,  and  in  their  superior  numbers 
would  have  overcome  Fravitta  and  his  followers  had 
not  the  Imperial  guard  stepped  in  to  save  him. 

Now  Author  and  Artist  are  at  variance  in  their 
views  of  the  incident  just  related.  The  Author  looks 
upon  the  subject  from  a  lofty  pedestal  built  of  historic 
facts,  and  has  just  given  this  account  of  an  abrupt  and 
unpleasant  ending  to  a  dinner-party  in  order  to  shake 
his  head  reprovingly  over  the  want  of  self-control 
exhibited  by  the  invited  Gothic  guests.  He  would 
also  poinl^  to  the  degeneracy  of  the  Roman  Empire, 
when  such  scenes  could  be  enacted  in  the  presence 
of  the  Emperor.  What  was  the  Lord  High  Guest- 
Inviter  about  to  ask  Fravitta  and  Priulf  to  meet?  He 
should  have  known  that  they  would  quarrel  in  their 
cups,  and  have  sent  out  his  separate  invitations  for 
two  repasts,  though  perhaps  for  consecutive  evenings. 
And  the  Lord  High  Bottle- Washer  ?  Surely  one  in 
his  exalted  station  should  have  recognized  from  long 

137 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

experience  the  first  symptoms,  and  substituted  some- 
thing less  stimulating  than  the  blood  of  the  grape  on 
the  third  or  fourth  circuit  of  the  decanter.  For  surely 
concoctions  equally  tasty  and  considerably  under  proof 
must  have  been  known  to  "  the  Trade  "  in  those  ages 
of  gastronomic  culture.  However,  matters  turned  out 
as  recorded,  and  the  Artist  revels  in  the  episode.  The 
Church's  solemn  feast  had  been  duly  observed  that 
morning ;  no  doubt  the  Goths  had  taken  part  in 
church  parade,  and  had,  as  usual,  failed  to  be  suffi- 
ciently impressed  with  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion. 
Then  all  the  great  ones  proceeded  to  the  palace,  and, 
already  chafing  at  the  length  of  the  sermon,  grew  yet 
more  impatient  at  the  delay  of  dinner  while  waiting  in 
some  ante-room.  The  Emperor  Theodosius  Augustus 
enters,  and  a  stir  goes  through  the  assembly.  A  kind 
word  here  and  there  in  Latin,  Greek,  or  some  barbaric 
tongue  as  the  kind-hearted  Emperor  recognizes  a 
familiar  face,  and  then  into  the  banqueting-hall — a 
lofty,  spacious  apartment,  with  arched  windows  looking 
out  to  sea. 

As  to  the  fare — the  Artist  is  no  expert,  but  would 
suggest  that  the  festive  board  groaned,  like  all  boards 
do  on  such  occasions,  beneath  a  quite  superfluous 
amount  of  all  the  food-stuffs  then  available.  No  doubt 
at  first    the  strict  decorum  of   a  court  was  carefully 

138 


The  Golden  Gate 

observed,  and  the  weather  or  the  latest  scandal  dis- 
cussed in  a  duly  Christian  spirit ;  but  after  a  while  a 
louder  laugh  would  strike  a  stronger,  healthier  note  in 
the  clangour  of  the  table-talk,  till  all  of  a  sudden  angry 
voices  rose  and  all  the  courtiers  stared  aghast  at  two 
Barbarians  gloriously  drunk  and  quarrelling  across  the 
very  presence  of  Augustus.  The  sequel,  too,  seems 
quite  appropriate  to  the  Artist,  and  he  can  silence 
criticism  by  pointing  back  but  one  short  century  in  the 
life  of  his  own  beloved  country.  Mention  was  made 
of  Maximus  just  now,  and  it  was  he  who  gave  to  the 
Porta  Aurea  its  origin — for  had  he  not  risen  as  rival 
against  the  power  of  Rome  Theodosius  would  not 
have  taken  the  field,  vanquished  him  and  erected  this 
triumphal  arch  in  memory  of  his  victory.  And, 
indirectly  again,  this  arch  owes  its  origin  to  Britain, 
for  there  it  was  that  the  trouble  first  arose  like  a  small 
cloud  over  the  Western  seas. 

A  native  of  Spain,  a  fellow-countryman  of  Theo- 
dosius and  his  rival  as  a  soldier,  Maximus  won  golden 
opinions  from  the  garrison  of  Britain,  the  province  he 
was  called  upon  to  govern.  The  legions  stationed  in 
Britain  had  already  earned  the  reputation  of  being  the 
most  arrogant  and  presumptuous  of  all  the  Roman 
forces ;  the  country  itself,  by  its  isolation,  fostered  the 
spirit  of  revolt  and  justified  the  image  Bossuet,  whom 

139 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

we  imagine  smarting  from  his  latest  channel  crossing, 
gives  :  "  Cette  isle,  plus  orageuse  que  les  mers  qui 
environnent.'* 

So  Maximus  rose  as  rival  to  the  throne,  and  some 
say  that  against  his  better  judgment  he  was  compelled 
to  accept  the  Purple.  The  youth  of  Britain  crowded  to 
his  standard,  and  he  invaded  Gaul  with  a  naval  and 
military  force  that  could  be  likened  to  an  emigration. 
Gratian,  in  his  residence  at  Paris,  became  alarmed  at  this 
hostile  approach,  and  found  himself  deserted  when  he 
tried  to  rally  his  forces,  for  the  armies  of  Gaul  received 
Maximus  with  joyful  acclamations.  The  Emperor 
of  the  West  was  forced  to  flee,  for  even  those  troops 
whose  stations  attached  them  immediately  to  his 
person  deserted  to  the  enemy.  So  Maximus  pursued 
his  triumphant  way,  leaving  Britons  behind  him 
as  colonists  in  Bretagne,  where  it  is  said  that  their 
descendants  endure  to  this  day. 

A  romantic  legend  attaches  to  this  tale  of  conquest. 
The  whole  emigration  from  Britain  consisted  of  30,000 
soldiers  and  100,000  plebeians,  who  settled  in  Bretagne. 
In  a  spirit  of  rare  patriotism  the  brides  of  these  settlers 
left  England  under  special  convoy  of  St.  Ursula,  1 1,000 
noble  and  60,000  plebeian  maidens,  but  they  mistook 
their  way.  They  eventually  landed  at  Cologne,  and 
there    were   cruelly   slain   by  Huns.      A   window   in 

140 


The  Golden  Gate 

Cologne  Cathedral  commemorates  this  martyrdom, 
so  all  doubts  on  the  subject  are  dispelled  for 
ever. 

Theodosius  was  unable,  for  reasons  of  State,  to 
avenge  the  murder  of  his  benefactor  Gratian,  but  as 
time  went  on  the  rivalry  between  him  and  Maximus 
became  intolerable.  One  or  the  other  had  to  make 
way,  and  it  was  Maximus  who  succumbed.  Then  it 
was  that  this  triumphal  arch,  this  Porta  Aurea,  came 
to  be  erected,  to  stand  as  a  perpetual  monument  to  one 
who  ranks  with  Constantine  the  Great  in  the  romantic 
history  of  Constantinople. 

Nearly  three  centuries  later  another  Emperor, 
Heraclius,  entered  in  triumph  through  this  gateway, 
on  his  return  from  the  Persian  wars.  One  hundred 
years  later  Constantine  Copronymus  followed  through 
these  golden  arches,  after  defeating  the  Bulgarians. 
Then  came  Theophilus  in  the  middle  of  the  ninth 
century,  to  celebrate  his  hard-won  victories  over  the 
Saracens.  Basil  I,  the  Macedonian,  followed,  and  of 
his  first  acquaintance  with  the  Golden  Gate  mention 
will  be  made  hereafter.  Then  Basil  II  of  that  name, 
called  Bulgaroktonos,  for  he  wreaked  savage  vengeance 
on  the  Bulgarians  who  had  dared  to  disturb  his  peace. 
A  weird,  romantic  figure  this  of  Basil,  we  have  had  a 
glimpse  of  him  when  telling  of  those  dark  influences 

141 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

that  coloured  his  earliest  days.  Those  days  in  the 
Palace  of  Justinian  when  Theophane,  his  mother, 
worked  wickedness,  can  have  had  but  the  worst  effect 
on  a  character  like  his.  Learning  and  all  the  gentler 
arts  and  crafts  he  heartily  despised,  and  cared  for 
nothing  but  military  glory.  He  first  drew  sword 
against  two  domestic  enemies,  Phocas  and  Sclerus, 
two  veteran  generals  who  rendered  insecure  his 
tenure  of  the  Purple.  He  subdued  them  both.  Then 
he  turned  against  the  Saracens,  proved  successful,  and 
as  has  been  said  already,  vanquished  the  Bulgarians. 
In  spite  of  his  achievements  in  the  field  Basil  did  not 
gain  the  affection  of  his  people.  He  was  one  of  those 
mournful  figures  that  flit  from  time  to  time  across  the 
pages  of  history.  His  only  virtues  were  courage  and 
patience,  but  they  were  counterbalanced  by  a  tameless 
ferocity.  A  mind  like  his  in  such  an  age  lends  a  ready 
ear  to  the  dreariest  superstition,  and  after  the  first 
licence  of  his  youth,  his  life  in  the  field  and  in  the 
palace  was  devoted  to  the  penance  of  a  hermit.  He 
wore  the  monastic  habit  under  his  robes  or  armour, 
and  imposed  upon  himself  vows  of  abstinence  from  all 
the  lusts  of  the  flesh. 

His  martial  spirit  urged  him  to  embark  in  person 
on  a  holy  war  against  the  Saracens  of  Sicily,  but  death 
prevented  him.     He  was  then  in  his  sixty-eighth  year, 

142 


The  Golden  Gate 

and  left  the  world  blessed  by  the  priests  but  cursed  by 
his  people. 

Another  in  this  glittering  pageant  that  passes 
through  the  Golden  Gate  in  triumph  is  John  Zimisces 
the  Armenian,  whom  our  travellers  first  saw  in  that 
dark  night  under  the  windows  of  Justinian's  palace. 
His  life  was  spent  almost  entirely  in  the  field,  and  he 
well  deserved  the  triumph  that  awaited  him  on  his 
return  to  Constantinople  after  defeating  both  the 
Saracens  and  Russians. 

The  last  of  all  the  Emperors  to  whom  triumphal 
entry  through  the  Golden  Gate  was  accorded  was 
Michael  Palaeologus,  in  August  1261.  It  is  not  easy 
to  discover  why  this  honour  should  have  been  shown 
him,  for  he  had  achieved  no  renown  in  his  endeavour 
to  regain  his  own.  No  doubt  the  people  gladly  wel- 
comed back  one  of  the  former  race  of  rulers,  not  only 
because  like  most  people  they  wanted  a  change,  but 
because  that  change  could  not  possibly  be  for  the 
worse,  inasmuch  as  they  had  suffered  grievously  for 
more  than  half-a-century  under  the  rule  imposed  on 
them  by  the  Latins,  and  were  willing  to  accept  any 
possible  alternative.  Baldwin,  the  last  of  the  Latin 
emperors,  had  fled,  and  Michael  Palaeologus  entered 
Constantinople  only  twenty  days  after  the  expulsion  of 
the  Latins.     The  Golden  Gate  was  thrown  open  on 

143 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

his  approach,  he  dismounted,  and  on  foot  meekly 
followed  the  miraculous  image  of  Mary  the  Conductress 
into  the  city  as  far  as  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Sophia. 

But  Michael's  joy  at  entering  the  capital  was 
marred  by  the  sights  that  met  his  eye.  Whole  streets 
had  been  consumed  by  fire,  no  signs  of  trade  or 
industry  were  to  be  seen,  and  even  his  palace  was  in  a 
state  of  desolation,  grimy  with  smoke  and  dirt  and 
stripped  of  every  ornament. 

Standing  inside  the  enclosure  we  look  up  at  the 
Golden  Gate — the  stones  and  brick  that  block  up  the 
three  arches  fade  away,  and  in  their  place  stand  the 
gleaming  gates  that  helped  to  give  it  its  name.  A 
surging  mass  of  people  moves  excitedly  around  us 
pressing  forward  towards  the  entrance.  A  body  of 
troops  appears :  big  men,  of  fairer  skins  than  those 
who  form  the  crowd,  clear  with  long-handled  spears  a 
roadway,  thrusting  aside  with  undisguised  contempt 
the  over-curious  spectators.  Scowls  and  glances  of 
resentment  vanish  as  sounds  of  an  approaching  multi- 
tude, accompanied  by  martial  music,  are  heard  pro- 
ceeding from  the  plain  outside  the  gate.  Here  they 
come  !  and  already  in  a  golden  haze  the  pageant  seems 
to  move  towards  us.  Huns  and  Alani,  the  light 
cavalry  trained  by  Theodosius,  on  wiry  horses,  shaggy, 
savage-looking    men,    they    hurry    on,    followed    by 

144 


The  Golden  Gate 

sturdy,  heavy-treading  infantry,  stout  warriors  clad  in 
skins  of  animals,  with  here  and  there  a  touch  of  finer 
stuff,  betraying  them  not  all  unused  to  the  refinements 
of  the  Empire's  capital.  They  surround  him  whom 
they  are  pleased  to  call  master,  the  Roman  Emperor. 
And  then  comes  endless  misery,  unchronicled  and 
long-forgotten — the  captives  taken  in  the  wars.  Red- 
headed Celts  and  fair-haired  Saxons,  swarthy  Moors 
and  Saracens  with  desperate,  flashing  eyes.  Among 
the  captives  big-limbed  Slavs,  and  then  more  troops, 
some  in  the  primitive  costume  of  their  native  wilds, 
others  in  armour  of  all  periods. 

Thus  passes  this  glorious  array — Emperors  on 
horseback  or  in  chariots,  their  guards  and  soldiery, 
captives  and  slaves  both  men  and  women,  trophies 
and  spoils  of  war.  In  these  few  minutes  while  we 
watch,  the  triumphs  of  seven  centuries  of  Empire 
rise  up  before  us  and  fade  away  into  that  general 
oblivion  which  so  few  men  survive,  and  even  those 
often,  as  it  seems,  only  by  some  chance  or  trick  of 
fortune. 

Thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  have  passed  this 
way  in  their  brief  hour  of  victory,  have  made  the 
heavens  ring  with  their  deeds,  that  lived  a  day  or  two 
in  memory,  and  then  have  silently  moved  onwards 
into  the  place  of  forgotten  things.  The  vision  passes 
K  145 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

and  leaves  us  but  a  name  or  two  by  which  we  may- 
remember  what  greatness  and  glory  have  swept  by. 
The  gilded  splendour  of  the  gates  is  dimmed,  the 
stones  and  bricks  resume  their  place  within  the  arches, 
and  here  before  us  stands  that  hoary  ruin  grey  with 
age,  lichen-covered  and  festooned  with  ivy,  while  rank 
weeds  spring  up  round  its  foundation  and  flowering 
bushes  form  its  ramparts — the  Triumphal  Arch  of 
Theodosius — the  Golden  Gate. 


146 


,9§B  dtry/   Y^^    ,niuT  7i£6fi    ierfj  ""%* 


# 


p^i 


HI; 


j^ 


1 


vV  ,-^sr^ 


trn 


.  1^ 


1  at:    \y  aa. 


Lt-trkr^nlf- 


and  1  ''•'^y 

^  swept  by. 

^  is  dimmed,  the 

ithin  the  arche- 

f^y  ruin  grey  with 

with  ivy,  while  rank 

"on  and  flowerin? 

_■:    r  i!    Arch   of 


Thb  Appkoach  to  the   Goldbn  Gate 
FROM  North  West. 

Here  before  us  stands  that  hoary  ruin,  grey  with  age, 
lichen-covered  and  festooned  with  ivy — the  Triumphal  Arch 
of    Theodosius — ^the  Golden  Gate. 


446 


.*       "* 


i^^»^ 


il 


r 


CHAPTER  VII 
THE  GOLDEN  GATE  {continued) 

The  Golden  Gate  was  from  time  to  time  thrown 
open  for  other  purposes  than  to  admit  a  conqueror. 
Persons  of  note  who  sought  audience  of  the  Emperor 
have  passed  in  through  it,  and  their  mission  was  in  the 
service  of  another  victor,  they  came  in  the  name  of 
Him  who  overcame  Death.  Among  these  was  Pope 
Constantine,  who  came  to  confer  with  that  Justinian  II 
whose  acquaintance  we  made  some  chapters  back. 
Another  Emperor  whose  history  is  famihar  to  our 
travellers,  Basil  II,  admitted  the  Legate  of  Pope 
Hadrian  into  the  city  underneath  the  same  portals. 

And  yet  another  solemn  procession  moves  in  at 
the  Gates  while  we  watch.  No  blare  of  trumpet,  no 
martial  sound  of  clashing  arms,  no  steady,  resolute 
footsteps,  scurry  of  horses  or  the  grinding  noise  of 
chariot  wheels  marks  the  progress  of  this  host  of 
shadows.  It  moves  slowly,  to  the  rhythm  of  a  solemn 
chant  that  rises  into  a  more  rapturous  cadence  from 
time  to  time  ;  moves  through  the  crowds  of  kneeling 
K  2  147 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

figures  with  bared  heads  and  eyes  lowered  to  the 
ground  that  they  may  not  see  the  glory  of  that  which 
is  passing,  for  is  it  not  the  sacred  Icon,  the  Icon  of 
Christ  brought  from  Edessa  to  find  Sanctuary  in  the 
Church  of  St.  Sophia  ? 

Christianity  owes  much  to  the  personality  of  the  first 
Eastern  Emperors  to  Constantine,  the  first  Augustus 
to  be  baptized  into  that  faith,  and  again  to  Theodosius 
I,  the  ardent  champion  of  the  Cross. 

Until  the  reign  of  this  great  Emperor  the  ancient 
faith  of  Rome  still  lived  on,  both  in  that  city  and  in 
the  provinces.  An  altar  to  victory  accompanied  the 
Roman  legions  in  the  field,  the  higher  officers  of  State 
in  many  cases  laid  claim  to  the  title  of  pontifex 
and  presided  over  the  old  religious  rites  while  the 
majority  of  the  Roman  Senate  still  adhered  to  the 
polytheistic  tenets  of  the  old  faith.  The  Emperor 
Gratian,  fired  by  the  zeal  of  Ambrose,  banished  once 
and  for  all  the  Altar  of  Victory  from  the  Roman 
Senate.  This  led  to  a  heated  controversy,  which  was 
decided  by  Theodosius.  Returning  to  Rome  "with 
all  his  blushing  honours  thick  upon  him,"  the  Emperor 
proposed  at  a  full  meeting  of  the  Senate  the  momentous 
question  :  Shall  the  worship  of  Jupiter  or  that  of  Christ 
be  the  religion  of  the  Romans  ? 

In  the  Roman   republic  of  those  days  it  was  not 

148 


The  Golden  Gate 

expedient  to  gainsay  a  victorious  Emperor,  so  by  a 
majority  of  the  Senate  Jupiter  was  condemned  and 
degraded.  Thus  when  we  witnessed  the  triumphal 
entry  of  Theodosius  the  Great  into  Constantinople  by 
the  Golden  Gate,  the  gods  of  ancient  Rome,  unseen 
by  us,  were  fastened  to  his  chariot  wheels. 

Theodosius  was  first  of  all  a  soldier,  and  though 
born  of  Christian  parents  he  did  not  embrace  the  Faith 
until  towards  the  end  of  the  first  year  of  his  reign, 
when  a  severe  illness  carried  conviction  to  the  Imperial 
heart.  He  received  the  sacrament  of  baptism  before 
he  again  took  the  field  against  the  Goths,  at  the  hands 
of  Acholius,  the  Orthodox  Bishop  of  Thessalonica. 

Once  convinced  of  the  beauty  of  the  Faith,  and  sure 
of  the  unfailing  aid  the  Church  affords,  Theodosius 
acted  as  a  soldier  and  a  convert  usually  does.  No 
room  for  the  doubts  and  fears  of  others,  he  had  found 
the  sure  haven  of  his  soul,  and  all  his  people  must 
needs  be  categorically  instructed  in  the  right  way. 
On  ascending  from  the  holy  font  he  issued  an  edict 
which  must  be  given  word  for  word.  "It  is  our 
pleasure  that  all  the  nations  which  are  governed  by 
our  clemency  and  moderation  should  steadfastly  adhere 
to  the  religion  which  was  taught  by  St.  Peter  to  the 
Romans,  which  faithful  tradition  has  preserved  ;  and 
which  is  now  professed  by  the  Pontiff  Damarcus  and 

149 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

by  Peter,  Bishop  of  Alexandria,  a  man  of  apostolic 
holiness.  According  to  the  discipline  of  the  Apostles 
and  the  Doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  let  us  believe  the  sole 
Deity  of  the  Father,  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost, 
under  an  equal  Majesty  and  a  pious  Trinity.  We 
authorize  the  followers  of  this  doctrine  to  assume  the 
title  of  Catholic  Christians,  and  as  we  judge  that  all 
others  are  extravagant  madmen,  we  brand  them  with 
the  infamous  name  of  Heretics,  and  declare  that  their 
conventicles  shall  no  longer  usurp  the  respectable 
appellation  of  Churches.  Besides  the  condemnation 
of  Divine  Justice,  they  must  expect  to  suffer  the  severe 
penalties,  which  our  authority,  guided  by  heavenly 
wisdom,  shall  think  proper  to  inflict  upon  them."  So 
we  find  little  room  in  Byzantium  for  the  Noncon- 
formist conscience,  or,  indeed,  for  any  other  save  that 
of  the  ruler  himself. 

Like  a  soldier  Theodosius  adhered  to  his  opinions, 
and  all  argument  from  other  sides  failed  to  impress 
him.  Once  only  was  he  found  to  show  the  slightest 
inclination  to  listen  to  another  version  of  the  Christian 
creed.  He  expressed  a  wish  to  converse  with  the 
pious  and  learned  Eunomius,  who  lived  a  retired  life 
near  Constantinople.  The  prayers  of  the  Empress 
Flaccilla  prevented  this  dangerous  and  mistaken 
attempt   even   to   understand  the  position  of  others, 

150 


The  Golden  Gate 

and  further  confirmation  in  his  orthodoxy  came  about 
in  a  dramatic  manner. 

Theodosius  and  his  son  Arcadius,  upon  whom  the 
title  of  Augustus  had  lately  been  bestowed,  were 
seated  side  by  side  upon  a  stately  throne  to  receive  the 
homage  of  their  subjects.  Amphilochius,  Bishop  of 
Iconium,  approached  the  throne  and  rendered  due 
homage  to  Theodosius.  He  then  turned  and  addressed 
Arcadius  in  the  patronizing  tones  some  dignitaries  of 
the  Church  still  use  towards  plebeian  children.  This 
insolent  behaviour  provoked  the  monarch,  and  he  gave 
orders  to  eject  the  priest.  While  the  guards  were 
executing  them,  the  Bishop  turned  in  the  doorway  and 
exclaimed  in  a  loud  voice,  *'  Such  is  the  treatment,  O 
Emperor !  which  the  King  of  Heaven  has  prepared  for 
those  impious  men  who  affect  to  worship  the  Father  but 
refuse  to  acknowledge  the  equal  majesty  of  His  Divine 
Son."  This  convincing  logic  failed  not  of  its  effect, 
the  orthodoxy  of  Theodosius  was  safe  against  all 
further  argument,  and  in  no  other  case  was  he  tempted 
into  the  uncertain  and  unsettling  paths  of  philosophical 
speculation. 

In  matters  religious  Constantinople  may  perhaps 
be  said  to  lead  the  controversial  way.  It  was  for  forty 
years,  from  340  to  380,  the  centre  of  Arianism,  and  is 
said  to  have  admitted  all  manner  of  strange  doctrines 

151 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

from  every  province  of  the  Empire — as  was  to  be 
expected  among  a  population  more  prone  to  disputa- 
tions than  to  serious  thought  or  that  activity  which 
takes  religion  as  a  staff  to  guide  its  daily  task  and  not 
as  a  subject  for  polemic  exercise. 

Let  us  return  to  a  haunt  familiar  to  the  reader — 
the  Atrium,  down  by  the  Sea  of  Marmora,  and  listen, 
without  venturing  an  opinion,  to  what  the  men  of  the 
fourth  century  had  to  say  upon  an  all-important  sub- 
ject. They  were,  or  the  majority  of  them  would 
probably  profess  to  be,  Arians,  and  for  many  reasons, 
not  alone  dogmatic,  would  have  closed  their  ears  to 
the  echoes  that  came  to  them  of  a  purer  doctrine 
taught  at  Rome  and  Alexandria.  Yet  they  must  have 
felt  some  apprehensions,  for  among  them  in  their  own 
city  blossomed  that  rarest  of  all  fair  flowers,  a  perfect 
friendship  between  two  men  of  the  same  way  of  think- 
ing. Basil  and  Gregory,  both  natives  of  Cappadocia, 
were  of  one  heart  and  mind  in  their  endeavours  at 
reform.  They  had  pursued  their  studies  together  at 
Athens,  together  had  retired  into  the  solitude  of  the 
desert  of  Pontus,  and  together  they  set  out  upon  their 
mission  to  Constantinople.  Truly  a  lovely  sight,  and 
altogether  beautiful,  this  friendship  of  two  earnest 
men.  No  doubt  the  heads  of  those  that  walked 
the   Atrium  of  Justinian   the  Great  wagged  as  they 

152 


The  Golden  Gate 

reflected  that  there  must  be  great  goodness  in  a  right 
so  blessed. 

But  a  cold  vapour  passed  over  this  entrancing 
vision — Basil  was  exalted  to  the  Archiepiscopal  throne 
of  Caesarea,  and  by  way  of  favour  to  his  friend  selected 
him  as  Bishop  of  Sasima,  of  all  the  fifty  bishoprics 
in  his  extensive  province,  the  most  desolate — sans 
water,  sans  verdure,  sans  everything  that  one  could 
wish  a  friend. 

Some  years  later  Gregory  returned  to  Constanti- 
nople to  try  for  further  preferment,  and  in  the  meantime 
started  a  tabernacle  of  his  own,  and  after  much 
adversity  attained  his  object  when  Theodosius  entered 
the  city  at  the  close  of  a  successful  campaign  in  Novem- 
ber 380.  Gregory  had  gained  many  adherents,  and  was 
eventually  elevated  to  the  Eastern  See  by  the  Orthodox 
Emperor.  In  spite  of  the  unyielding  orthodoxy  which 
Theodosius  knew  how  to  enforce,  the  Arians  did  not 
acquiesce  without  a  protest,  and  Gregory  confessed 
pathetically  that  on  the  day  of  his  installation  the 
capital  of  the  East  wore  the  appearance  of  a  city  taken 
by  storm  at  the  hands  of  a  Barbarian  conqueror.  No 
doubt  the  polemics  that  raged  around  the  question  of 
the  Trinity  exasperated  the  soldier  Theodosius,  he  there- 
fore determined  to  have  the  matter  settled  definitely,  and 
to  that  end  convened  a  synod  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 

153 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

bishops  to  complete  the  theological  system  established 
in  the  Council  of  NIcsea.  No  doubt  this  council  arrived 
at  some  conclusion  that  satisfied  the  Emperor,  so  that 
at  least  one  man's  mind  was  set  at  rest  on  a  vexed 
question.  Many  different  Christian  sects  had  sprung 
up  before  Theodosius  began  to  Issue  edicts,  and  that 
many  of  them  returned  to  obscurity  Is  a  reason  for 
profound  gratitude,  for  the  world  has  on  more  than 
one  occasion  proved  too  small  for  rival  creeds.  Still 
it  Is  sad  to  reflect  that  the  office  of  Inquisitor  in 
matters  of  religion  was  first  Instituted  by  one  of  the 
greatest  of  the  Eastern  Emperors. 

No  doubt  Theodosius  was  convinced  that  he  had 
said  the  last  word  on  religious  controversy,  that  being 
very  sure  himself  his  people  would  be  equally  so. 
This,  however,  turned  out  to  be  rather  too  hopeful  a 
view  of  the  matter,  for  synods,  conferences  and  councils 
followed  one  after  another,  leading  to  endless  contro- 
versy and  to  no  more  gratifying  result  than  a  more 
marked  divergence  of  opinions. 

Behind  these  walls  of  Constantinople  the  religious 
life  of  the  people  showed  uncommon  vigour,  though  it 
may  be  doubted  whether  the  general  effect  was  one  of 
holiness.  Strong  men  appear  upon  the  scene  and  take 
an  active  part  provoking  strong  passions  much  at 
variance  with  the  peaceful  precepts  of  the  Christian 

154 


The  Golden  Gate 

creed,  though  quite  in  keeping  with  the  prophecy  of 
Him  who  asserted  that  He  came  to  bring  "not  Peace 
but  a  Sword."  Out  of  this  chaos  of  ideas  and  ideals 
rises  one  form  after  another,  to  stand  out  before  his 
contemporaries  in  bolder  outline  than  historical  perspec- 
tive warrants.  Of  these  one  may  be  singled  out  as 
truly  great,  though  it  is  perhaps  due  to  his  personality 
more  than  to  the  enduring  good  he  did  that  he  appeals 
to  readers  of  the  present  day.  He  came  from  Antioch 
with  a  great  reputation  as  a  preacher,  so  great  that 
people  called  him  the  Golden  Mouth — St.  John  Chrysos- 
tom.  His  induction  to  the  Eastern  See  was  carried 
into  effect  by  somewhat  unusual  means.  Eutropius, 
the  prime  minister  of  Arcadius  the  young  Emperor, 
had  heard  and  admired  the  sermons  of  John  Chrysos- 
tom  when  on  a  journey  in  the  East.  Fearing  that  the 
faithful  of  Antioch  might  be  unwilling  to  resign  their 
favourite  preacher,  the  minister  sent  a  private  order  to 
the  Governor  of  Syria,  and  the  divine  was  transported 
with  great  speed  and  secrecy  to  Constantinople.  The 
new  archbishop  did  not  fail  to  make  his  influence  felt 
at  once,  and  his  sermons  gave  rise  to  factions,  some  in 
his  favour,  some  against  him,  all  united  to  make  the 
most  of  an  excuse  for  religious  controversy.  As  has 
often  happened  since,  though  on  a  less  magnificent  scale, 
the  ladies  of  the  parish  took  very  ardent  interest  in  the 

155 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

dispute.  Some  there  were  who  approved  of  all  he 
said  and  did,  others  violently  condemned  him  and  all 
his  works.  These  ladies  were  for  the  most  part  of 
mature  age,  and  therefore  well  qualified  to  judge,  and 
many  of  them  were  extremely  wealthy,  which  of  course 
gave  weight  to  their  opinions. 

Chrysostom  was  of  choleric  temperament  and  un- 
social habits,  the  first  led  him  to  express  disapproval  in 
scarcely  measured  terms,  the  second  prevented  him 
from  finding  out  what  was  going   forward    in  those 
places  where  he  had  been  insisting  on  reform.     So  it 
came  about  that  an  ecclesiastical  conspiracy  formed 
against  him  was  all  unknown  to  him  until  he  found  that 
one  Theophilus,  Archbishop  of  Alexandria,  had  arrived 
by  invitation  of  the  Empress,  together  with  a  number 
of  independent  bishops,  to  secure  a  majority    at    the 
synod.     Theophilus  had  taken  the  further  precaution 
of  bringing  with  him    a   strong   escort   of   Egyptian 
mariners  to  serve  as  practical  warriors  in  the  Church 
Militant  and  keep   the  refractory  populace  in  order. 
The  synod  brought  various  charges  against  Chrysos- 
tom, who  refused  to  attend  the  meetings,  so  in  default 
this    august    body    condemned    the    Archbishop    for 
contumacious  disobedience  and  sentenced  him  to  be 
deposed.     Chrysostom  was  hurried  out  of  the  city  to  a 
place  of  banishment  near  the  entrance  of  the  Black  Sea, 

156 


The  Golden  Gate 

but  before  two  days  had  passed  he  was  recalled,  his  faith- 
ful flock  rose  with  unanimous  and  irresistible  fury,  the 
promiscuous  crowd  of  monks  and  Egyptian  mariners 
were  slaughtered  without  mercy  in  the  streets  of  the 
city,  the  waves  of  sedition  roared  and  seethed  round 
the  palace  gates,  and  an  earthquake  came  just  in  time 
to  be  interpreted  as  the  voice  of  Heaven,  so  the 
Empress  Eudoxia  had  to  implore  Arcadius  to  reinstate 
the  favourite  preacher.  Chrysostom  returned  in 
triumph  down  the  Bosphorus  and  into  the  Golden  Horn, 
through  lanes  of  shipping  that  vied  with  the  houses 
ashore  in  the  splendour  of  their  illuminations.  From  the 
landing-stage  to  the  Cathedral  thousands  of  his  faithful 
flock  escorted  him  with  frenzied  exclamations.  But 
St.  John  (the  Golden  Mouth)  was  no  courtier,  he 
pursued  his  course  with  increased  zeal.  His  sermons 
made  him  yet  more  popular  with  the  masses,  and 
proved  yet  more  distasteful  to  the  Court,  until  one 
directed  in  bitterest  vein  against  the  Empress  proved 
his  temporal  undoing  for  a  second  time. 

Again  he  was  banished,  and  this  time  to  the  distant 
ridges  of  Mount  Taurus.  He  spent  three  years  of 
great  activity  in  this  retreat,  carrying  on  a  correspond- 
ence with  the  most  distant  provinces  of  the  Empire. 
His  enemies,  however,  were  not  yet  satisfied,  and 
brought  about   his  removal   to  the  desert  of    Pityas, 

^57 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

but  on  the  way  thither  in  his  sixtieth  year  St.  John 
Chrysostom  died. 

Thirty  years  after,  in  January  438,  the  remains 
of  this  zealous,  high-spirited  priest  were  transported 
from  their  obscure  sepulchre  to  the  royal  city.  Theo- 
dosius  1 1  advanced  as  far  as  Chalcedon  to  meet  them, 
and  falling  prostrate  on  the  coffin  implored  in  the 
name  of  his  guilty  parents,  Arcadius  and  Eudoxia,  the 
forgiveness  of  the  injured  saint. 

The  efforts  of  St.  John  Chrysostom  proved  effective 
•during  his  lifetime  alone.  After  his  death  the  religious 
cohesion  of  a  large  Empire,  composed  of  so  many 
races,  each  with  its  own  peculiar  temperament  fell 
away  and  the  divergence  of  opinion  on  matters  of 
dogma  became  more  and  more  accentuated. 

A  peculiar  instance  of  this  is  afforded  by  the 
Armenian  Church,  and  the  Author  apologizes  to  his 
fellow-travellers  for  having  omitted  to  point  out  the 
unpretentious  cathedral  of  that  community  when  visit- 
ing the  walls  by  the  Sea  of  Marmora.  The  Armeni- 
ans took  up  the  Christian  faith  in  a  most  generous 
spirit  during  the  reign  of  Constantine.  The  many 
invasions  their  country  suffered  under,  the  constant 
disorders  that  occurred  there,  as  well  as  the  fact  that 
their  clergy  were  generally  ignorant  of  the  Greek 
tongue,  all  tended  to  separate  them  from  their  fellow- 

158 


The  Golden  Gate 

believers  in  Europe.  They  clung  to  their  doctrine 
that  the  manhood  of  Christ  was  created  of  a  divine  and 
incorruptible  substance,  and  therefore  scouted  the 
notion  that  imputed  to  the  Godhead  the  infirmities  of 
the  flesh.  Their  priests  were  unable  to  assist  at  the 
Council  of  Chalcedon,  owing  to  the  linguistic  difficulty 
referred  to,  so  in  time  they  became  schismatics,  their 
separation  from  other  communities  dating  back  as  far 
as  552.  For  reasons  which  it  is  not  well  to  enter  into, 
the  Armenians  have  not  always  enjoyed  the  toleration 
shown  to  other  creeds  by  the  Moslem  conquerors  of 
the  Eastern  Empire — gruesome  tales  have  reached  the 
ears  of  Europe  from  time  to  time,  and  the  less  said  on 
this  subject  the  better,  for  the  enlightened  powers  that 
now  rule  over  the  destinies  of  the  Eastern  Empire 
give  ample  assurance  that  those  dark  days  of  persecu- 
tion are  past. 

Where  Christianity  has  gained  hold  over  the  minds 
of  men,  it  not  only  influences  their  thoughts  and  actions 
more  than  any  other  motive  power,  but  it  has  the 
result,  perhaps  quite  contrary  to  the  intentions  of  its 
Founder,  of  crystallizing  the  national  characteristics  of 
the  different  races  that  become  subject  to  its  influence. 
This  leads  to  a  definite  expression  of  national  senti- 
ments, aims  and  ambitions,  and  so  it  happened  when 
Christianity  was  in  the  full  vigour  of  youth.     Those 

159 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

communities  whose  life  was  lived  under  a  southern  sun, 
in  lands  where  tradition  and  history  receded  into  the 
dim  vistas  that  hide  the  origin  of  all  things,  lands  like 
Syria  and  Egypt  drifted  into  a  spiritual  nirvana  of  lazy 
and  contemplative  devotion.  No  wonder  then  that 
the  fierce  onrush  of  those  who  were  inflamed  by 
Mahomed's  fighting  creed  met  with  no  resistance,  and 
Islam  is  now  the  faith  of  those  lands  of  ruin  and  golden 
sand. 

The  Western  nations  took  to  the  new  creed  with- 
out any  loss  of  the  fighting  qualities  of  their  race  ;  and 
in  fact  the  preaching  of  the  new  religion  seems  to  have 
had  but  little  effect  upon  their  methods  of  expressing 
their  convictions  on  any  subject,  and  equally  little 
power  to  check  ambition.  So  the  Western  Church 
was  forced  to  adopt  the  strenuous  method  of  the 
people  under  its  spiritual  sway,  aided  therein  by  the 
strain  of  stronger  Northern  races  that  had  revived 
the  moribund  communities  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood of  Rome. 

Then  the  direction  taken  by  the  Western  Church 
led  to  absolute  power  over  the  bodies  and  souls  of 
men.  The  superstitions  grafted  on  the  doctrines  of 
the  Church  to  enhance  the  power  of  its  ministers 
proved  a  weapon  of  irresistible  force  in  the  hands  of 
an  unscrupulous  and  ambitious  Pontiff     The  warrior 

1 60 


The  Golden  Gate 

kings  of  warlike  nations  quailed  before  the  power  of 
the  Head  of  Western  Christendom,  and  one  of  Ger- 
many's haughty  Emperors  crept  barefooted  through 
the  snow  to  Canossa,  there  to  implore  the  Pontiffs 
pardon. 

This  ambition  has  fired  the  Western  Church  through 
all  these  ages  that  saw  the  gradual  development  of 
Europe,  has  led  to  many  and  most  bloody  wars, 
occasioned  revolting  crimes,  and  still  acts  as  an  incentive 
to  the  **  Kultur  Kampf,''  against  which  even  Bismarck, 
the  Iron  Chancellor,  did  not  battle  with  unqualified 
success.  As  may  be  supposed,  the  ambitious  strivings 
of  the  Roman  See  were  not  directed  only  against  the 
Western  nations  whom  Christendom  had  reached 
mainly  through  its  agents.  It  cast  longing  glances  at 
the  Eastern  capital.  The  Greeks,  however,  took  their 
religion  in  yet  another  form,  approached  it  in  yet 
another  spirit.  At  Constantinople  the  Emperor  and 
the  Patriarch  lived  side  by  side,  and  were  busily 
engaged  in  checking  each  other's  authority,  or  offer- 
ing a  united  front  against  Roman  interference.  No 
attempt  seems  to  have  been  made  on  the  part  of  any 
Archbishop  of  the  Eastern  capital  to  arrogate  to  him- 
self temporal  power.  It  was  politically  impossible,  so 
long  as  successors  to  the  throne  of  Caesar  were  to  be 
found  among  victorious  generals,  whenever  the  scions 
L  i6i 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

of  the  Imperial  family  showed  signs  of  weakness. 
Again  the  genius  of  the  Greek  expressed  itself  in  a 
different  sense 

The  Roman  Church  laid  down  its  dogmata,  and  no 
one  was  found  to  cavil  at  them,  or  those  that  did,  until 
Luther's  time,  met  with  a  short  shrift  and  a  blazing 
pyre.  The  populace  of  the  Eastern  Empire,  and  more 
expressly  of  Constantinople,  knew  none  of  this  intel- 
lectual submission  to  ecclesiastical  authority,  and 
exercised  their  keen  wits  in  disputations,  subtle  or 
extravagant,  according  to  individual  taste.  Vehement 
controversies  raged  constantly  around  the  mysteries  of 
the  Christian  Creed,  and  served  at  once  to  sharpen  the 
intellect  and  obscure  the  purity  of  the  Faith.  New 
sects  were  for  ever  springing  up,  some  to  be  suppressed 
by  edict  of  an  Emperor,  or  to  prolong  their  precarious 
existence  under  persecution,  others  to  die  yet  more 
surely  of  neglect. 

High  and  low  entered  into  these  contests,  perhaps 
not  always  urged  by  the  purest  motives — the  I  saurian 
Emperors  condemned  the  use  of  Icons,  and  Theodora 
in  sanguinary  devotion  restored  them  to  the  Churches. 
Paulicians,  who  abhorred  all  images,  were  introduced 
from  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates  into  Constantinople 
and  Thrace  by  Constantine,  whom  the  worshippers 
of  images  surnamed   Copronymus,  in  the  middle  of 

162 


The  Golden  Gate 

the  eighth  century.  They  suffered  much  persecution 
from  time  to  time  ;  and  again  were  encouraged  and  in 
fact  reinforced  by  another  Emperor,  John  Zimisces, 
who  transported  a  large  colony  of  them  to  the  valleys 
of  Mount  Haemus.  Under  good  treatment  they 
became  arrogant,  and  being  doughty  warriors  resented 
the  injuries  they  frequently  received  at  the  hands  of 
the  Eastern  clergy.  They  retired  to  their  native 
land,  and  there  were  subject  to  renewed  attacks  by 
their  Christian  brethren  of  the  Eastern  fold,  and  by 
any  armed  and  adventurous  nation  of  a  different  Faith 
who  happened  to  pass  that  way. 

Asia  too  has  had  experience  of  a  religious  war 
lasting  thirty  years  and  devastating  many  tracts  of  fair 
and  fertile  country,  an  example  followed  by  Europe 
nearly  eight  centuries  later. 

Thus  the  religious  life  of  Constantine's  great  city 
was  not  without  intense  excitement  to  those  who  lived 
within  the  walls.  After  the  first  eight  centuries  of  the 
Christian  era,  the  interest  somewhat  abated,  the  de- 
generate population  seemed  to  have  lost  its  appetite 
for  controversy.  A  definite  separation  from  Rome  had 
not  been  brought  about,  though  it  may  be  supposed  that 
the  Roman  Pontiff  exercised  little  direct  control  over 
the  religious  destinies  of  the  Eastern  Empire. 

The  recital  of  religious  differences,  of  disputes 
L  2  163 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

concerning  the  mysteries  of  any  faith  make  unpleasant 
reading  at  any  time.  But  yet  such  matters  have  to  be 
faced  if  we  would  restore  some  of  the  testimony  of 
these  silent  witnesses,  the  ruined  walls  of  Constan- 
tinople. Thus  if  we  are  to  read  the  history  their 
stones  record,  we  cannot  overlook  the  darker  pages, 
the  depth  of  shadows  that  offer  such  contrast  to  the 
brighter  passages  of  the  chronicles  of  this  Imperial 
City. 

The  Eastern  and  the  Western  world  were  never 
really  in  accord  on  any  subject — the  bonds  that  united 
them  were  frail  and  might  snap  at  the  death  of  one 
strong  man  or  the  other,  who  like  Constantine  had 
firm  hold  of  the  reins  of  government.  But  the 
Western  Empire  was  no  more,  and  owing  to  this  and 
the  disorders  that  ensued  in  consequence,  the  Eastern 
Empire  gained  in  importance.  It  at  least  presented 
a  united  front  to  outward  enemies,  so  when 
Charlemagne  restored  the  western  Roman  Empire, 
a  rivalry  of  power  seemed  imminent — this  marked  the 
distance  East  and  West  had  travelled  on  diverging 
roads  and  brought  about  a  separation  of  the  Greek  and 
Latin  Churches.  The  intellectual  pride  of  the  Greeks 
could  not  submit  to  any  dictation  on  the  subject  of  the 
Christian  doctrine  from  the  See  of  Rome ;  Roman 
ambition    would   not   allow  outlying   communities   to 

164 


The  Golden  Gate 

formulate  new  doctrines  or  to  revise  old  ones.  In 
everything  the  adherents  of  the  Eastern  and  Western 
Churches  found  points  of  disagreement.  It  needed 
but  a  small  pretext  to  bring  about  a  schism,  small  at^ 
this  period  of  time  but  great  and  momentous  to  those 
who  struggled  through  the  controversy.  A  pretext 
was  not  long  wanting.  About  the  middle  of  the  ninth 
century  Photius,  a  layman,  captain  of  the  guards,  was 
promoted  by  merit  and  favour  to  the  office  of  Patriarch 
of  Constantinople.  In  ecclesiastical  science  and  in  the 
purity  of  morals  he  was  equally  well  qualified  for  his 
high  office.  But  Ignatius,  his  predecessor,  who  had 
abdicated,  had  still  many  obstinate  supporters,  and  they 
appealed  to  Pope  Nicholas  I,  one  of  the  proudest  and 
most  ambitious  of  the  Roman  Pontiffs,  who  welcomed 
an  opportunity  of  judging  and  condemning  his  rival  of 
the  East. 

The  Greek  Patriarch  issued  triumphant  with  the 
aid  of  the  Court,  but  fell  with  his  patron,  Caesar  Bardas, 
uncle  of  Michael  III,  whereupon  Basil  the  Macedonian 
restored  Ignatius  to  his  former  dignity.  Photius 
emerged  on  the  death  of  Ignatius  from  the  monastery 
which  had  sheltered  him  and  was  again  restored  to  the 
dignity  of  the  Patriarchate,  to  be  again  and  for  ever 
deprived  of  office  on  the  death  of  Basil  I.  The  Roman 
See  had    interfered    in    favour   of   Ignatius,  and  had 

165 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

become  unpopular  with  all  sections  of  Greek  Orthodoxy 
in  consequence.  Then  followed  the  dark  and  hopeless 
days  of  the  tenth  century,  without  any  attempt  at 
reconciliation  between  the  Churches.  Nothing  but 
unseemly  recriminations  ensued,  till  in  1054  the  Papal 
legates  entered  Constantinople,  having  laid  a  bill  of 
excommunication  against  the  Patriarch  upon  the  altar 
of  St.  Sophia,  and  shaking  the  dust  from  off  their  feet 
returned  to  Rome.  Negotiations  between  the  two 
Churches  continued  at  ever-increasing  intervals,  and 
the  breach  widened  by  the  actions  of  both  sides. 

When  the  Western  nations,  fired  by  religious 
enthusiasm,  pressed  eastward  in  their  thousands  to 
attempt  the  rescue  of  the  Holy  Land,  they  met  with 
faint  support,  and  even  covert  opposition  from  the 
Eastern  Emperors.  And  when  the  Eastern  Empire 
was  hard  pressed  by  the  old  enemy  of  the  Cross,  the 
Pope  refused  his  aid  until  urged  thereto  by  one  of  his 
own  spiritual  vassals,  and  that,  as  we  have  seen,  in 
vain. 

From  time  to  time  attempts  were  made  at  reconcilia- 
tion, but  whether  they  were  sincere  is  hard  to  determine, 
and  certainly  does  not  come  within  the  province  of  this 
book.  Suffice  it  to  say,  they  failed,  and  now  under 
the  protection  of  Crescent  and  Star  the  Orthodox 
Greek  Church  preserves  the  even  tenor  of  her  way. 

166 


The  Golden  Gate 

Author  and  Artist  wonder  whether  perchance  they 
should  apologize  for  talking  at  length  on  a  matter 
of  such  vital  interest  as  the  religious  controversies 
between  different  schools  of  Christian  thought.  They 
decide  not  to  do  so,  for  to  give  a  fair  account  of  all  the 
history  or  of  as  much  of  it  as  one  small  volume  may 
contain,  the  strong  note  that  dominated  the  lives  and 
motives  of  so  many  generations,  all  struggling  upwards 
to  the  Light,  must  sound  above  the  universal  and 
jarring  discords. 

There  is  yet  another  feature  of  the  religious  life 
that  had  its  day  behind  these  sheltering  walls,  its 
monastic  institutions.  The  Author  has  views  on  the 
subject  of  political  economy  which  he  does  not  intend 
to  inflict  upon  his  fellow-travellers.  Of  a  truth  this  is 
neither  a  reasonable  time  nor  an  appropriate  place  for 
any  such  controversial  matter.  Rather  the  Author 
proposes  to  entrust  his  patient  audience  to  the  mercy 
of  the  Artist,  who  has  a  tale  to  tell  and  may  be  some 
time  in  telling  it.  Thus  he  leaves  his  collaborator  to 
think  out  the  next  chapter,  for  much  remains  to  be 
told. 

Meanwhile  the  Artist  takes  us  back  to  those  remote, 
romantic  ages  when  Christianity  was  young  and  even 
more  capable  than  it  is  to-day  of  arousing  fierce 
passions  which  led  to  what  the  cynics  of  other  ages 

167 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

regard  as  mere  extravagances.  He  tells  of  Anthony, 
an  illiterate  youth  who  lived  in  Thebais  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  fourth  century.  Of  how  Anthony 
distributed  his  patrimony,  left  his  kith  and  kin  and 
began  his  monastic  penance  among  the  tombs  in  a 
ruined  tower  by  the  banks  of  the  Nile.  How  Anthony 
then  wandered  three  days'  journey  into  the  desert  to 
eastward  of  the  Nile  and  fixed  his  last  residence  in  a 
lonely  spot  where  he  had  found  shade  and  water.  From 
Egypt,  that  land  of  mystery,  this  novel  conception  of 
a  Christian's  duty  spread  over  all  the  Christian  world. 
Anthony's  fame  went  far  afield,  many  disciples  followed 
him,  and  ere  he  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  105  he 
was  surrounded  by  many  fellow-anchorites  ready  to 
follow  in  his  footsteps. 

The  people  of  the  Eastern  Empire  took  up  the 
new  idea  with  enthusiasm,  and  many  monasteries  were 
erected  within  the  walls  of  Old  Byzantium.  One  of 
them  has  already  been  mentioned,  the  monastery  of 
St.  George  at  the  Mangane  near  Seraglio  Point,  where 
for  some  time  the  Emperor  John  Cantacuzene  took  up 
his  abode  after  his  abdication.  Monasteries  and  con- 
vents were  in  fact  almost  invaluable  to  party  politicians 
of  the  Byzantine  Empire.  Emperors  and  Empresses 
were  conveyed  to  these  places  of  retreat,  with  more  or 
less  of  ceremony  according  to  the  judgment  passed  on 

168 


The  Golden  Gate 

their  misdeeds,  real  or  supposed,  by  the  fickle  populace. 
Royal  Princes  who  might  be  tempted  to  usurp  the 
throne  were  banished  to  convenient  monasteries,  and 
sometimes  deprived  of  eyesight  that  they  might  realize 
the  vanity  of  all  things.  Victorious  and  ambitious 
generals  found  unsought  rest  and  quietness  in  the 
cloister,  even  Patriarchs  have  been  known  to  vanish 
from  sight  into  the  '*  dim  religious  light "  that  was  the 
material  and  spiritual  attribute  of  those  secluded  haunts. 
Those  fairy  islands  we  saw  floating  in  the  placid  Sea 
of  Marmora  held  many  illustrious  captives  within  the 
walls  of  its  cloisters  and  convents.  Distant  Mount 
Athos  with  its  thousands  of  anchorites  would  from 
time  to  time  welcome  back  a  brother  who  had  basked 
for  a  short  time  in  the  sunlight  of  an  Emperor's  smile. 

But  through  all  those  ages  of  monastic  life,  in  all 
the  stories  and  legends  of  pious  hermits  and  anchorites, 
the  Artist  misses  any  one  akin  to  his  own  admired 
friend — Friar  Tuck.  Greek  monks  took  frequent  part 
in  the  disturbances  that  party  politics  provoked,  but 
none  was  found  to  expound  like  him,  his  doctrine  of 
Christian  Socialism  with  the  aid  of  a  stout  quarter- 
staff. 

And  of  the  artistic  side  of  monastic  usefulness  no 
trace  remains,  none  of  those  beautifully  executed 
illuminations  that  were  the  life-work  of  so  many  a 

169 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

skilful  limner  in  the  West.  The  storm  that  broke  over 
Constantinople  swept  all  this  away,  and  nothing  is  left 
but  a  faint  record  of  the  site  of  some  ancient  hermitage. 

Thus  on  our  way  to  the  Marble  Tower  and  not  far 
from  where  we  stand  stood  a  monastery  dedicated  to 
St.  Diomed,  and  hereby  hangs  a  tale  full  as  romantic 
as  any  yet  recorded. 

One  evening  in  the  middle  of  the  ninth  century  a 
youth,  strong  and  active,  but  weary  and  travel-stained, 
approached  the  Golden  Gate  from  over  the  heights 
beyond  the  walls.  He  entered  the  city,  but  not  by  the 
Golden  Gate  that  we  are  now  so  well  acquainted  with, 
he  went  round  a  little  to  the  north,  where  there  is 
another  opening  in  the  walls,  a  sort  of  *'  tradesmen's 
entrance,"  for  to  none  but  Emperors  or  visitors  of  the 
highest  rank  was  the  Golden  Gate  thrown  open. 
The  wanderer  was  none  of  these,  so  by  the  failing 
light  he  entered  what  is  now  Yedi  Koule  Kapoussi. 
He  had  neither  friends  nor  money,  so  tired  out  lay 
down  to  sleep  on  the  steps  of  the  Church  of  St. 
Diomed.  A  kindly  monk  extended  the  hospitality 
of  the  monastery  to  him,  and  so  refreshed  he  went  his 
way  in  search  of  fortune.  His  good  luck  took  him  to 
a  cousin,  a  namesake  of  the  Emperor  Theophilus,  and 
in  his  patron  s  train  he  went  to  the  Peloponnese.  His 
personal  merit  brought  him  advancement,  and  fortune 

170 


xHv.'oT  VI  a 7 38  h; 


i')    MO    ,1821 


<ijijo'(  a  . V itrtnsp  liiiiiij 

Abblm  dfijB| 

■■ 

■r'^^' 

eaon  ol  lol  ,a)FO  nablo' 

■ 

Koidj 

nabloO  adi                  i  Je^tiflgi 

1 

H 

K  a  t 

•  i  ,'o>I    ibsV 

^ 

IH; 

liic  Walk 

skiif\il  lunn  mthat 


travei 

Yedi  Koule  Kapoussi,  or  Gate  of  the  Seven  Towers. 

One  evening  in  the  middle  of  the  ninth  century,  a  youth 
entered  the  city,  but  not  by  the  Golden  Gate,  for  to  none 
but  Emperors  or  visitors  of  the  highest  rank  was  the  Golden 
Gate  thrown  open — he  entered  what  is  now  Yedi  Koule 
Kapoussi. 


heophilus,  and 
i^eioponnese.     His 


perj 


/3p^7/£3^i^  ■ 


The  Golden  Gate 

favoured  him  again  in  making  him  acquainted  with  a 
wealthy  widow,  Danielis,  who  adopted  him  as  her  son. 
This  youth  was  Basil  I — the  founder  of  the  Macedonian 
Dynasty,  whom  we  saw  in  that  proud  pageant  of 
victorious  Emperors  passing  under  the  Porta  Aurea. 

The  monks  of  St.  Diomed  had  no  occasion  to 
repent  their  hospitality  to  the  stranger,  for  Basil  found 
many  ways  of  proving  his  gratitude  towards  his  former 
hosts. 


171 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE   WALLS    OF    THEODOSIUS   TO   THE   GATE   OF 
ST.    ROMANUS 

Having  escaped  from  the  hands  of  the  Artist,  the 
travellers  fall  into  the  clutches  of  the  Author,  who 
insists  on  showing  them  the  Golden  Gate  from  both 
sides  as  it  really  is  to-day.  For  that  purpose  we  enter 
by  a  gateway  a  little  to  the  north  of  the  Porta  Aurea. 
This  is  called  Yedi  Koul6  Kapoussi,  or  the  "Gate  of 
the  Seven  Towers,"  and  stands  where  stood  formerly 
a  Byzantine  gate  through  which  Basil  entered  the  city. 
As  we  may  infer  from  its  name,  the  present  gate  is 
of  Turkish  origin,  as  are  also  the  strong  towers  that 
rise  up  on  our  right.  Bearing  southwards,  we  come 
to  an  entrance  in  that  section  of  the  wall  which  faces 
east.  We  enter  and  stand,  in  fact,  where  we  had  stood 
in  imagination  watching  the  triumphant  pageants  of 
former  ages  defiling  past  us.  We  may  enter  one  of 
the  strong  towers,  the  shape  of  which  is  familiar  to  all 
who  have  visited  Roumeli  Hissar,  and  thus  we  know 
it  to  be  of  Turkish  construction.     A  winding  staircase 

172 


■-;! 


^., 


,5  -fc^ 


■i 


^'■1P^ 


<-/  -*' 


raA.S 


«^>  ♦  ri  »-■«       \  /  o  I 


.'./■/ 


F->iv 


fe|^; 


*^^«*-*&^;^:" 


the 

^  Author,  who 

insists  ihe  Golden  Gate  from  both 

sides  as  it,  really  is  to-day.     For  that  purpose  we  enter 

^y      Part  of  Turkish  Fortress  of  Yedi  Koule.       Aurea. 

We  may   enter   one    of  the    strong    towers,    the   shape    or 
which    is    familiar  to  all  who   have  visited    Roumeli   Hissar>.:rly 
and  thus  we  know  it  to  be  of  Turkish  construction. 


east, 
in  ima^ 
former  a^ 
the  strong 
who  have  vi. 
it  to  be  of  Tl 


*^^a^U^^^^i_j 


The  Walls  of  Theodosius 

leads  us  to  the  rampart ;  through  a  bend  in  the  wall  we 
may  look  down  into  the  interior  of  the  tower,  where 
erstwhile  spacious  vaulted  chambers  held  the  garrison 
while  captives  pined  in  the  dungeons  below. 

The  romantic  tales  that  cling  to  all  dungeons  are 
not  wanting  here,  for  beneath  this  spot  even  ambassadors 
are  said  to  have  languished,  though  probably  not  for 
any  length  of  time,  for  the  person  of  such  high  repre- 
sentatives of  foreign  potentates  partake  in  some  degree 
of  their  master's  lustre  and  may  not  be  lightly  treated. 
Nevertheless,  the  Venetian  ambassador  was  once 
arrested  by  Achmet  III,  when  he  and  Charles  XII, 
the  most  picturesque  figure  of  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  were  allied  against  Russia,  and 
Venetian  possessions  in  Morea  barred  the  path  of 
further  Turkish  conquests. 

As  we  walk  along  the  top  of  the  ramparts  we  see 
how  strong  these  ruined  walls  still  remain,  and  how 
much  greater  their  strength  must  have  been  when  re- 
built in  1457  A-i^-  t>y  Mahomet  the  conqueror.  And 
before  Mahomet's  day  this  citadel's  history  was  a  record 
of  stout  resistance  to  the  city's  enemies,  for  it  long 
defied  the  onslaught  of  the  Turks,  who  rebuilt  it 
when  the  city  fell  into  their  hands.  The  Sultan  had 
planted  a  cannon  before  this  stronghold,  and  tried 
its  strength  with  other  engines  of  war,  but  Manuel  of 

173 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

Liguria   and    his   two   hundred    men    held   out   until 
the  end. 

A  pathetic  figure  appeared  in  1347,  John 
Cantacuzene,  who,  though  a  loyal  guardian  to  his 
young  Imperial  master,  was  driven  into  civil  war  by 
court  intrigues.  His  followers  admitted  him  into  this 
stronghold  before  he  retired  to  monastic  seclusion. 
He  had  some  difficulty  in  persuading  his  partisans,  the 
Latin  garrison,  to  surrender  to  John  Palaeologus,  This 
emperor  then  thought  fit  to  weaken  the  defences 
of  this  citadel,  but  luckily  left  it  strong  enough  to  pro- 
tect himself  from  the  attacks  of  his  rebellious  son 
Andronicus. 

Good  reason  for  strengthening  the  fort  occurred 
when  Bajazet  roamed  at  large  in  Europe,  and  John 
Palaeologus  set  about  doing  so.  The  Sultan,  hearing 
of  it,  sent  an  order  that  those  new  defences  should  be 
at  once  pulled  down  again,  and  that  non-compliance 
would  mean  the  loss  of  eyesight  to  Manuel,  heir  to 
the  throne  and  at  that  time  hostage  in  the  Turkish 
camp. 

Standing  on  the  ramparts  of  this  ancient  stronghold 
it  is  difficult  to  realize  the  old  days  of  stress  and  storm. 
In  the  clear  air  and  sunshine  life  seems  too  serene  for 
the  fierce  passions  that  drove  a  swarm  of  Saracens  in 
repeated  attacks  against  the  grey  walls.     These  fiery 

174 


The  Walls  of  Theodosius 

followers  of  the  prophet  came  up  from  the  South  over 
that  limpid  sea.  Yet  in  the  seventh  century,  forty-six 
years  after  the  flight  of  Mahomed  from  Mecca,  it  was 
alive  with  the  lateen  sails  of  the  swarthy  marauders. 

Caliph  Moawiyah  had  no  sooner  resumed  the 
throne  by  suppressing  his  rivals  than  he  decided  to 
wipe  away  the  bloodstains  of  civil  strife  by  a  holy 
war.  A  holy  war,  if  it  is  to  attain  to  the  fullest 
perfection  of  sanctity,  should  also  be  profitable,  and  no 
richer  prize  offered  than  Constantinople.  The  Arabs, 
since  they  had  issued  from  the  desert,  had  found  victory 
rapid  and  easy  of  achievement ;  so,  having  carried  their 
triumphant  ensign  to  the  banks  of  the  Indus  and  the 
heights  of  the  Pyrenees,  they  had  some  reason  to  con- 
sider themselves  invincible.  Not  only  was  the  capital 
of  the  Eastern  Empire  the  richest  prize,  but  its  conquest 
seemed  to  present  no  great  difficulties,  as  an  unworthy 
emperor  loosely  held  the  reins  of  government  at  this 
time.  Heraclius  had  entered  the  Golden  Gate  in 
triumph  after  defeating  the  Persians.  Constantine,  his 
grandson,  third  of  that  name,  was  called  upon  to  defend 
it  against  the  Saracens. 

These  fierce  warriors  were  allowed  to  pass  un- 
challenged through  the  narrow  channel  of  the  Dar- 
danelles, where  they  might  at  least  have  been  checked, 
and  landed  near  the  Hebdomon.     Day  by  day,  from 

175 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

dawn  till  sunset,  the  sons  of  the  desert  surged  round 
the  stately  defences  of  the  city,  their  main  attack  being 
directed  against  the  Golden  Gate.  Every  attempt 
proved  abortive,  yet  they  held  on  with  marvellous 
persistence.  On  the  approach  of  winter  they  would 
retire  to  a  base  established  on  the  isle  of  Cysicus, 
where  they  stored  their  spoils  and  provisions.  For 
six  successive  summers  they  kept  up  the  attempt  upon 
the  city  walls,  their  hope  and  vigour  gradually  fading, 
until  shipwreck  and  disease,  allied  with  sword  and  fire, 
the  newly-invented  Greek  fire,  forced  them  to  relinquish 
the  fruitless  enterprise.  Their  losses  are  computed  at 
30,000  slain,  and  among  these  they  bewailed  the  loss 
of  Abou  Eyub  or  Tob.  That  venerable  Arab  was  one 
of  the  last-surviving  companions  of  Mahomed  ;  he  was 
numbered  among  the  ansars  or  auxiliaries  of  Medina, 
who  sheltered  the  head  of  the  fugitive  prophet.  Eyub 
lies  buried  at  a  spot  not  far  from  the  northern  extremity 
of  the  land-walls  on  the  shores  of  the  Golden  Horn, 
where  a  mosque,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  all  those 
that  adorn  Constantinople,  now  enshrines  his  bones. 
It  is  at  this  Mosque  of  Eyub  that  the  Sultan,  on  his 
accession,  is  girded  with  the  sacred  sword  of  Othmar, 
a  ceremony  that  compares  in  religious  importance  with 
the  coronation  of  a  Christian  monarch. 

The  unsuccessful  issue  of  the  Saracen  attacks  upon 

176 


The  Walls  of  Theodosius 

Constantinople  cast  a  shadow  upon  the  lustre  of  their 
army,  and  revived  both  in  the  East  and  West  the 
prestige  of  the  Roman  sword.  A  truce  of  thirty  years 
was  ratified  at  Damascus  in  6"]"],  and  the  majesty  of 
the  Commander  of  the  Faithful  was  dimmed  by  the 
necessity  of  paying  tribute,  fifty  horses  of  a  noble  breed, 
fifty  slaves  and  three  thousand  pieces  of  gold. 

A  yet  more  barbarous  enemy  appeared  before  this 
section  of  the  city  walls  in  Leo  the  Armenian's  reign. 
Rumours  of  their  approach  had  reached  the  city,  and  it 
was  heralded  by  vast  clouds  of  dust  raised  by  the  feet 
of  innumerable  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats  who  accom- 
panied these  adventurers  wherever  they  went.  They 
pitched  their  leathern  tents  on  the  plain  and  heights 
outside  the  Golden  Gate,  where  their  strange  aspect 
startled  those  who  held  watch  and  ward  over  the  city. 
These  barbarians  were  clad  in  furs,  they  shaved  their 
heads  and  scarified  their  faces,  of  luxury  they  knew 
nothing,  and  their  sole  industries  were  violence  and 
rapine. 

Finding  all  his  efforts  against  the  stout  walls  of  the 
city  unavailing,  King  Crum,  the  leader  of  these  hordes, 
offered  up  human  sacrifices  under  the  Golden  Gate. 
But  this  failed  to  propitiate  his  gods,  and  one  day  a 
receding  cloud  of  dust  announced  the  departure  of  these 
savage  enemies. 

M  177 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

Another  foe  knocked  at  the  portal  of  the  Golden 
Gate  and  tried  his  strength  against  the  wall  in  vain, 
though  sometimes  more  successful  in  the  open  field. 
A  new  power  had  arisen  on  the  banks  of  the  Danube 
in  the  days  of  Constantine  III — the  Bulgarians. 

Whence  they  came  and  what  their  origin  is  still  a 
matter  of  conjecture  best  left  to  those  whose  business 
it  is  to  find  out.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  they  appear 
from  time  to  time  and  trouble  the  peace  of  the  Eastern 
Empire,  or  on  some  rare  occasions  act  as  its  allies. 
Their  history  is  strangely  stirring.  Theodoric,  in  his 
march  to  Italy,  had  trampled  on  them,  and  for  a  century 
and  a  half  all  traces  of  their  name  and  nation  disappear 
from  the  historian's  ken.  In  the  ninth  century  we  hear 
of  them  again  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  Danube. 
Their  return  to  the  North  from  whence  they  came  was 
prevented  by  a  stronger  race  that  followed  them,  whilst 
their  progress  to  the  West  was  checked  by  more  power- 
ful nations  in  that  quarter.  They  found  some  vent 
for  their  military  ardour  in  opposing  the  inroads  of  the 
Eastern  emperors,  and  may  lay  claim  to  an  honour  till 
then  appropriated  only  by  the  Goths — that  of  having 
slain  a  Roman  emperor  in  battle. 

It  came  about  in  this  fashion.  The  Emperor 
Nicephorus  had  advanced  with  boldness  and  success 
into  the  west  of  Bulgaria  and  destroyed  the  royal  court 

178 


The  Walls  of  Theodosius 

by  fire.  But  while  he  lingered  on  in  search  of  spoil, 
refusing  all  treaties,  his  enemies  collected  their  forces 
and  barred  the  passes  of  retreat.  For  two  days  the 
Emperor  waited  in  despair  and  inactivity,  on  the  third 
the  Bulgarians  surprised  the  camp  and  slew  the 
Emperor  and  great  officers  of  the  Eastern  Empire. 
Valens  had,  after  the  Emperor's  death  at  the  hands  of 
the  Goths,  escaped  from  insult,  but  the  skull  of 
Nicephorus  I,  encased  with  gold,  served  as  a  drinking 
vessel. 

Before  the  end  of  the  same  century  a  better  under- 
standing had  been  established,  and  the  sons  of  Bulgarian 
nobles  were  educated  in  the  schools  and  palaces  of 
Constantinople ;  among  them  was  Simeon,  a  youth  of 
royal  line,  of  whom  Luitprand  the  historian  says  : 
**  Simeon  fortis  bellator,  Bulgarise  prcecrat ;  Christianus 
sed  vicinis  Graecis  valde  inimicus."  Many  Bulgarian 
youths  are  even  now  being  educated  at  the  Robert 
College. 

Simeon  was  intended  for  a  religious  life,  but  he 
abandoned  it  to  take  up  arms  ;  he  inherited  the  crown 
of  Bulgaria  and  reigned  over  that  country  from  the 
end  of  the  ninth  to  well  into  the  tenth  century.  His 
hostility  to  the  Greeks  found  frequent  expression,  and 
he  and  his  host  appeared  before  the  walls  of  Constanti- 
nople. On  classic  ground  at  Achelous,  the  Greeks 
M  2  179 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

were  vanquished  by  the  Bulgarians,  thereupon  Simeon 
hastened  to  besiege  the  Emperor  in  his  own  strong 
city.  Simeon  and  the  Emperor  met  in  conference — 
the  Bulgarians  vying  with  the  Greeks  in  the  splendour 
of  their  display,  though  combined  with  the  most  jealous 
precautions  against  unpleasant  surprises,  and  their 
monarch  dictated  the  terms  on  which  he  would  agree 
to  peace.  **  Are  you  a  Christian  ? "  asked  the  humbled 
Emperor  Romanus  I.  **  It  is  your  duty  to  abstain  from 
the  blood  of  your  fellow- Christians.  Has  the  thirst  for 
riches  seduced  you  from  the  blessings  of  peace  ? 
Sheath  your  sword,  open  your  hand  and  I  will  give 
you  the  utmost  measure  of  your  desire." 

Soon  the  successors  of  Simeon  by  their  jealousies 
undermined  the  strength  of  the  kingdom,  and  when 
next  they  went  forth  to  meet  the  Greeks  in  battle 
Basil  II  found  no  great  difficulty  in  defeating  them. 
A  terrible  home-coming  theirs  ;  through  snow  and  ice 
the  remnant  of  Bulgaria's  manhood  struggled  on  in 
little  bands  of  a  hundred  at  a  time,  following  the  voice, 
each  company,  of  a  single  leader,  as  they  groped  their 
way  through  the  darkness.  For  they  were  blinded. 
They  had  escaped  from  the  clemency  of  a  Christian 
emperor,  by  whose  orders  only  one  man  in  a  hundred 
retained  the  sight  of  one  eye.  The  King  of  the  Bul- 
garians died  of  grief.     His  people  lived  on,  contained 

1 80 


The  Walls  of  Theodosius 

within  the  limits  of  a  narrow  province,  to  wait  in 
patience  for  revenge.  The  visitor  to  Sofia,  the  new 
capital  of  a  new  Bulgaria,  should  not  fail  to  inspect  the 
museum,  carefully  and  skilfully  arranged  by  King 
Ferdinand.  There  he  will  find,  among  a  host  of  interest- 
ing matter,  pictures  illustrating  the  history  of  the 
country.  Of  these  works  none  is  more  strikingly  pathetic 
than  one  which  represents  the  return  of  those  sightless 
Bulgarian  warriors. 

As  after  the  crushing  defeat  inflicted  on  the 
inhabitants  of  Bulgaria  by  the  Goths,  the  country 
silently  and  forcefully  waited  to  regain  its  strength. 
Another  century  and  a  half  elapsed  after  the  victory 
of  Basil  Bulgaroktonos  before  the  Bulgarians  regained 
offensive  power.  During  this  interval  they  existed  as 
a  province  of  the  dominions  of  Byzantium,  and  no 
attempts  were  made  to  impose  Roman  laws  and  usage 
upon  them. 

It  was  Isaac  Angelus  who  lashed  the  Bulgarians 
to  desperation  by  driving  away  their  only  means  of 
subsistence — their  flocks  and  herds — to  contribute  to 
the  extravagant  splendour  that  was  wasted  on  his 
nuptials.  Two  powerful  Bulgarian  chiefs — Peter  and 
Asan — rose  in  revolt,  asserted  their  own  rights  and  the 
national  freedom,  and  spread  the  fire  of  rebellion  from 
the  Danube  to  the  hills  of  Macedonia  and  Thrace. 

i8i 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

By  the  supineness  of  the  Emperor  these  proceedings 
were  allowed  to  pass  unchecked,  a  fact  which  added 
to  the  contempt  felt  for  the  Greeks  by  their  former 
subjects.  Asan  addressed  his  troops  in  these  words : 
**  In  all  the  Greeks,  the  same  climate  and  character  and 
education  will  be  productive  of  the  same  fruits. 
Behold  my  lance  and  the  long  streamers  that  float 
in  the  wind.  They  differ  only  in  colour,  they  are 
formed  of  the  same  silk  and  fashioned  by  the  same 
workman,  nor  has  the  stripe  that  is  stained  in  purple 
any  superior  price  or  value  above  its  fellows." 

So  after  several  faint  efforts  Isaac  and  his  brother, 
who  usurped  the  throne,  acquiesced  in  the  independ- 
ence of  the  Bulgarians.  John,  or  Joannice,  ascended 
the  throne  of  a  second  kingdom  of  Bulgaria,  and 
submitted  himself  as  a  spiritual  vassal  to  the  Pope, 
from  whom  he  received  a  licence  to  coin  money,  a 
royal  title  and  a  Latin  archbishop.  Thus  the  Vatican 
accomplished  the  spiritual  conquest  of  Bulgaria,  the 
first  object  of  the  schism  between  the  Western  and 
the  Eastern  See  when,  after  the  disorders  provoked 
by  hopeless  Eastern  emperors,  such  as  Alexius  IV  and 
V,  and  Nicolas  Canabus,  the  Latins  gained  possession 
of  the  throne  of  Caesar.  Calo-John,  as  he  was  called. 
King  of  Bulgaria,  sent  friendly  greetings  to  Baldwin 
I,  but  these  provoked  an  unexpected  answer.     The 

182 


The 

. .-itin  Emperor  demanded  rh  ^  ^  ._.  ,  • .._  . . 

his  pardon  by  touching  wit  ar!  the  footstool 

of  the  Imperial  throne.     So  trouble  I  ut  ap-ab.. 

again  n'ar  was  waged  with  all  ks  attendant 
r  John  reinforced  his  army  by  a  body  of  14,000 

i-semen  from  the  Scythian  deserts.  A  fierce  battle 
at  Adrianople  resulted  in  the  total  defeat  of  the  Emperor, 
and  he  himself  was  taken  prisoner.     His  fate  was  for 

ne  years  uncertain  Pope 


Theodosian  Wall  and  approach  to  Belgrade  Kapoussi, 
Second  Military  State. 

These  are  the  Theodosian  Walls,  the  proudest  and  most 
lasting  monument  to  that  dynasty  which  was  founded  when 
Gratian  invested  Theodosius  with  the  Imperial  Purple. 

We   have  ic  sad   :  jsade 

which  Pope  Urban  proclaimed  against  the  Juries  in  ^ 
preceding  chapter  and  seen  how  Amurath,  surprising 
the  Christian  camp,  drove  his  enemies  before  him 
"^  '  ;  s  driven  before  the  wind,  till  plunging  into 
1  '     i  1  ^itza  they   perished   in   its  waters."     Sisvan 

'  a  peace  at  the  price 
'   cr   to   Anv       '     lt> 


'Wl 


iym^ 


ri^riw  bdbnuoj  aiivv 


M;i 


The  Walls  of  Theodosius 

Latin  Emperor  demanded  that  the  rebel  should  deserve 
his  pardon  by  touching  with  his  forehead  the  footstool 
of  the  Imperial  throne.  So  trouble  broke  out  again, 
again  war  was  waged  with  all  its  attendant  savagery, 
and  Calo-John  reinforced  his  army  by  a  body  of  14,000 
horsemen  from  the  Scythian  deserts.  A  fierce  battle 
at  Adrianople  resulted  in  the  total  defeat  of  the  Emperor, 
and  he  himself  was  taken  prisoner.  His  fate  was  for 
some  years  uncertain,  and  even  the  demands  of  the  Pope 
for  the  restitution  of  the  Emperor  failed  to  elicit  any 
other  answer  from  King  John,  save  that  Baldwin  had 
died  in  prison.  For  years  the  conflict  raged  till 
Henry,  the  second  of  the  Latin  Emperors,  routed  the 
Bulgarians.  Calo-John  was  slain  in  his  tent  by  night, 
and  the  deed  was  piously  ascribed  to  the  lance  of  St. 
Demetrius. 

We  have  followed  the  sad  fate  of  the  crusade 
which  Pope  Urban  proclaimed  against  the  Turks  in  a 
preceding  chapter  and  seen  how  Amurath,  surprising 
the  Christian  camp,  drove  his  enemies  before  him 
"as  flames  driven  before  the  wind,  till  plunging  into 
the  Maritza  they  perished  in  its  waters."  Sisvan 
the  Bulgarian  King  obtained  a  peace  at  the  price 
of  the  marriage  of  his  daughter  to  Amurath  in 
1389,  invaded  the  kingdom  of  Bulgaria,  making 
Adrianople  the  base  of  operations  ;   how  Sisvan  the 

183 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

king  fled  to  Nicopolis,  was  there  besieged  by  Ali 
and  surrendered. 

From  that  date  till  quite  recent  times  Bulgaria  has 
been  incorporated  in  the  Ottoman  Empire.  Now, 
after  a  lapse  of  over  five  centuries,  she  has  again 
established  her  national  identity  and  under  an 
enlightened  and  progressive  ruler  gives  promise  of 
holding  her  own  without  experiencing  another  break 
in  the  history  of  the  race.  The  Golden  Gate  and  its 
romantic  history  has  claimed  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  travellers'  and  the  Author's  time.  The  Artist 
hopes  his  pencil  has  done  sufficient  justice  to  those 
glorious  ruins,  and  for  some  time  has  turned  eager 
eyes  northward,  where  a  line  of  stately  towers  and 
masses  of  ruined  masonry  offer  fair  prospect  of 
enriching  his  store  of  sketches. 

The  road  that  leads  us  onward  may  perhaps  pass 
unrecognized  as  such  by  travellers  who  are  used  to 
the  smooth  surface  over  which  the  motor  races  in  a 
cloud  of  dust  in  Western  countries.  But  let  the  Author 
assure  them  that  this  broad  track,  one  side  supplied 
with  rough  stones  picturesquely  dispersed,  the  other 
chiefly  consisting  of  ruts  and  holes,  is  indeed  a  road, 
and  that,  too,  one  whereon  we  have  to  travel.  Moving 
along  we  soon  forget  its  shortcomings  in  the  beauty 
of  the  scenery  on  either  hand.     To  the  left  a  gentle 

184 


The  Walls  of  Theodosius 

ridge,  and  everywhere,  as  far  as  eye  can  see,  countless 
cypress-trees,  some  in  stately  groups,  others  in  dark, 
jagged  masses.  Beneath  these  rest  faithful  sons  of 
Islam,  many  of  whom  dashed  out  their  souls  against 
the  walls  that  rise  on  our  right  hand.  Tier  upon  tier 
they  rise — some  almost  intact,  others  battered  beyond 
recognition,  right  away  from  the  Golden  Gate  to 
within  sight  of  the  Golden  Horn.  These  are  the 
Theodosian  walls,  the  proudest  and  most  lasting 
monument  to  that  dynasty  which  was  founded  when 
Gratian  invested  Theodosius  with  the  Imperial 
Purple. 

We  watched  the  enceinte  of  the  city  of  Byzas 
grow,  saw  how  the  walls  he  built  to  landward  could 
no  longer  contain  the  increasing  population.  The 
walls  that  Byzas  built  have  vanished,  and  those  of 
Constantine  the  Great  have  served  their  purpose, 
and  were  dismantled,  so  that  to  Theodosius  II  was 
left  the  task  of  giving  to  the  city  its  widest  limits. 
Historians  of  the  time  draw  a  pleasant  picture  of  the 
scene  when  these  walls  were  erected.  The  different 
factions  all  combined  to  help,  and  inscriptions,  still  to  be 
seen,  testify  to  this  fact.  All  citizens  were  called  upon 
to  assist,  so  without  waste  of  time  these  walls  arose. 
Misfortune  visited  them  shortly  after  their  completion, 
when  an  earthquake  overthrew  a  great  portion  of  the 

185 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

work,  including  fifty-seven  towers.  At  an  inopportune 
moment  too,  for  the  arms  of  Theodosius  had  suffered 
defeat  by  Attila  in  three  successive  engagements,  and 
"  The  Scourge  of  God,"  as  he  was  pleased  to  call  him- 
self, having  ravaged  the  provinces  of  Macedonia  and 
Thrace  with  fire  and  sword,  was  drawing  very  near 
to  Constantinople.  But  two  determined  men — Con- 
stantine,  Praetorian  Prefect  of  the  East,  and  Marcel- 
lius  Comes — called  upon  the  patriotism  of  the  populace, 
and  in  less  than  three  months  the  damaged  walls  had 
been  restored  and  even  strengthened  by  their  united 
efforts. 

An  imposing  prospect  these  walls  still  offer  even 
in  their  present  state  ;  how  much  more  formidable  must 
they  have  appeared  when  all  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
two  towers  stood  firm  and  unshaken  and  the  walls  be- 
tween had  not  been  broken  by  an  enemy's  artillery  or 
dismantled  by  the  tooth  of  time !  Their  construction 
was  a  marvel  of  devotion,  their  plan  the  work  of  genius, 
for  of  its  kind  no  defences  better  calculated  to  protect  a 
city  were  ever  devised  by  human  ingenuity.  Let  us 
move  to  the  very  edge  of  the  road,  where  there  is  a 
slightly  raised  and  extremely  irregular  footpath,  and 
take  a  general  and  comprehensive  glance  at  the  walls  of 
Theodosius.  At  our  feet  the  counterscarp  which  stayed 
the  earth  on  the  enemy's  side  from  filling  up  the  moat. 

i86 


The  Walls  of  Theodosius 

There  comes  the  moat  over  sixty  feet  in  width.  The 
depth  when  still  in  use  is  not  known  to  us,  but  we 
know  from  our  visit  to  the  Golden  Gate  that  it  must 
have  been  considerable. 

The  wall  we  see  on  the  further  side  of  the  moat, 
taking  the  enemy's  point  of  view,  is  the  scarp.  Some 
of  its  battlements  remain  ;  they  served  to  cover  the 
movements  of  troops  on  the  terrace  between  the  scarp 
and  the  wall.  This  outer  wall  rises  to  about  ten  feet 
and  tapers  from  a  base  of  about  six  feet  in  thickness 
to  two  feet  at  the  summit.  From  the  remains  of  this 
wall  we  can  gather  that  it  contained  a  long  series  of 
vaulted  chambers  which  offered  shelter  to  the  troops 
engaged  in  the  defence,  and  there  are  loopholes  facing 
west,  through  which  their  fire  was  directed. 
Small  towers,  some  round,  others  square,  about  thirty- 
five  feet  high,  still  further  strengthened  the  position. 
But  the  main  defence  lay  in  the  inner  wall,  separated 
from  the  outer  one  by  a  broad  terrace  of  some  fifty 
feet,  which  served  as  a  parade-ground  for  the  troops 
that  garrisoned  the  chambers  of  the  outer  wall,  when 
the  city  was  invested  by  an  enemy.  This  imposing 
mass  of  fortifications  stands  on  a  higher  level  than  the 
others,  and  here  the  main  strength  of  the  defence  was 
stationed.  A  chain  of  mighty  towers  composed  it,  and 
they   are   linked   together   by   stout  walls  known  as 

187 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

curtains  to  the  expert.  These  towers,  most  of  which 
are  square,  stand  about  one  hundred  and  seventy  feet 
apart,  and  rose,  when  in  their  completed  state,  to  a 
height  of  sixty  feet,  standing  out  some  twenty  feet  from 
the  curtain.  Each  tower  contained,  as  a  rule,  two 
chambers,  was  built  of  carefully  cut  stone  and  vaulted 
inside  with  brick.  Many  a  broken  tower  shows  on  the 
outside  some  mark  or  inscription  dating  back  to  the  dis- 
tant days  of  the  glory  of  old  Byzantium.  On  the  city 
side  of  the  inner  wall  may  still  be  seen  traces  of  stone 
steps  that  led  up  to  the  summit,  whence  other  flights  of 
steps  led  under  cover  of  battlements  to  the  roof  of 
each  tower. 

For  ten  centuries  these  walls  defied  all  onslaughts 
of  an  enemy  ;  the  battle-cry  of  many  strange  races, 
some  whose  day  is  done,  others  who  stand  high  in  the 
history  of  civilization  to-day,  was  answered  by  shouts 
of  defiance  from  the  defenders  of  the  city.  So  let  us 
cross  over  the  moat  and  look  into  one  of  those  huge 
towers,  which  with  their  attendant  curtains  gave  the 
Eastern  capital  its  immunity  from  invasion  for  so  many 
ages.  Though  appearing  to  form  one  solid  mass,  they 
are  in  reality  built  separately,  so  as  to  allow  for  the 
different  rate  of  sinking  between  buildings  of  different 
weight. 

We  may  enter  one  of  these  broken  towers  from  the 

i88 


^^ 


•to  y 
bio 


rB^4J 


><wi«i<'a<wB^I^ 


which 


t  from 

iS  a  n\ 


ack  to  the  dis- 

kiln.     On  the  city 

stili  be  seen  traces  of  stone 

tlie  summit,  whence  other  flights  of 

r  of  battlements  to  the  roof  ot 

Theodosian  Wall.— a  Broken  Tower,  outside. 

Many  a  broken  tower  shows  on  the  outside  some  mark  or 
inscription  dating  back  to  the  distant  days  of  the  glory  of  old 
Byzantium. 

iVi     i.i  i-t't.i    t'f.    Hi''.. 
o 

^^'d  by  shf>nt*>^ 
So  lei  . 
those  hr 
.s  gave  v'- 
ibr  so  mai]v 
olid  mass,  they 
3  to  allow  for  thf 
diff  buildings  of  differ 

Wf  roken  towers  from  the 


U:- 


^^.f-^^- 


^    . 


The  Walls  of  Theodosius 

inner  terrace,  by   a    gap   in   the   strong    stonework, 
caused  probably   by   an   earthquake.     This    opening 
takes  us  to  a  place  half-way  between  the  floor  and 
ceiling  of  the  lower  chamber.     The  vaulting  that  sup- 
ported the  upper  floor  has  fallen  in,  but  we  can  trace 
it  in  the  brickwork  that  here,  as  elsewhere  amid  these 
walls,  recall   in  shape  and  colour  the  remains  of  the 
defences  of  Imperial  Rome.     And  yet  another  likeness 
strikes  us  in  the  courses  of  brick,  laid  at  intervals  in 
the  construction  of  walls  and  towers,  which  served  to 
bind   the  mass   of  masonry   yet  more  firmly.     This 
lower  chamber,  all  dismantled  now,  and  overgrown 
with   weeds,  may  in   times   of  peace  have  served  a 
peaceful  purpose.     Access  to  it  was  from  inside  the 
walls,  and  the  proprietor  of  the  land  on  which  it  stood 
was  permitted  to  use  it  for  what  purposes  he  chose. 
But  when  the  fire  signals  that  flared  on  the  tops  of 
convenient  heights  gave  notice  of  an  enemy's  approach 
these  vaults  would  ring  with  the  sound  of  armour  and 
the  epithets  wherewith  soldiers  of  all  ages  are  supposed 
to  garnish  their  remarks. 

Arms  and  their  use,  and  armour  to  protect  the 
warrior,  knew  but  few  changes  during  the  centuries 
that  these  walls  fulfilled  their  purpose.  Men  went  to 
war  clad  in  armour  more  or  less  protected  according 
to  their  rank  and  the  weight  they  were  able  to  sustain. 

189 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

Their  weapons  were  bow  and  arrow,  sword,  battle-axe 
and  spear,  and  their  tactics  did  not  require  a  constant 
series  of  new  regulations.  Even  the  invention  of 
Greek  fire  did  not  bring  about  a  revolution  in  the 
methods  of  warfare,  although  it  was  used  with  deadly- 
effect  both  in  sieges  and  sea-fights.  For  many  years 
the  Greek  Empire  maintained  the  traditions  of  the 
Roman  legions,  but  the  men  were  not  of  the  same 
stern  stuff.  Instead  of  accustoming  their  mercenaries 
to  the  weight  of  armour  by  constant  use,  they 
carried  it  after  them  in  light  chariots,  until  on  the 
approach  of  an  enemy  it  was  resumed  with  haste 
and  reluctance. 

The  need  of  reviving  the  martial  spirit  was  felt  by 
many  an  emperor,  and  edicts  were  issued  commanding 
all  able-bodied  males  up  to  the  age  of  forty,  to  make 
themselves  proficient  in  the  practice  of  the  bow.  But 
the  Greek  populace  resisted  these  commands,  so  when 
the  time  of  trial  came  they  were  found  wanting,  and 
had  to  give  up  their  possessions  into  the  hands  of  a 
stronger,  sterner  race,  with  loftier  conceptions  of  a 
citizen's  duty. 

With  these  reflections  we  must  turn  away  from  the 
vaults  of  the  ruined  tower,  and  leave  it  as  a  symbol  of 
the  decay  that  eats  out  the  heart  of  all  nations  who 
forget  that  their  country's  greatness  was  built  up  only 

190 


.v^ 


.(dai8>fi 


^tavfol  baniui  arij  to  pMubv  sdj  oi' 


Til 


with  dead'. 
3,     For  maiiy  ye c 
he  traditions  of  the 

jg  their  inercenarlr 

•  »e    weighi  i>y    constant    use,    they 

carrsed  it  after  mem   m  iight  chariots,  until  on  t^ -^ 

approach  of  an   enemy  it  w-  iied   vv   ' 

and  rehir^  n 

,  . .  Theodosian  Wall — A  Broken  Tower  (inside). 

J.  We  must  turn  away  from  the  vaults  of  the  ruined  tower, 
and  leave  it  as  a  symbol  of  the  decay  that  eats  out  the  heart 
of  all  nations  who  forget  that  their  country's  greatness  was 
built  up  only  by  the  self-sacrifice  of  former  generations. 


conceptions   of 

'  turn  away  from  tl 
:  a  symbol  ^  t 
the  deca  ,       ".eart  of  all  nations  who 

forget  that  t  uness  was  built  ir 


The  Walls  of  Theodosius 

by  the  self-sacrifice  of  former  generations,  and  that 
patriotism  requires  deeds  and  not  mere  empty  words 
to  maintain  the  heirlooms  of  the  past. 

There  are  a  number  of  gates  that  pierce  the 
Theodosian  walls.  With  some  of  them  we  have  little 
concern.  Their  purpose  was  to  expedite  the  manning 
of  the  defences  by  former  garrisons.  We  pass  the 
second  military  gate,  now  known  as  Belgrad  Kapoussi, 
all  embowered  in  trees,  the  moat  in  front  of  it  filled  up 
to  serve  the  peaceful  purpose  of  a  market-garden. 
Our  way  leads  on  along  the  road,  which  makes  a  curve 
more  to  northward  and  rises  slightly. 

On  the  higher  ground  groups  of  cypress  rise  in 
sharp  outline  against  the  sky.  On  our  left  hand  is  an 
historic  spot,  for  here  stood  the  Church  of  St.  Mary  of 
the  Peg6,  the  Holy  Spring.  A  road  led  to  this 
sanctuary  through  a  gate  still  standing,  called  the  Gate 
of  the  Peg4  now  Silivria  Kapoussi.  Numbers  of 
pious  pilgrims  have  passed  this  way  barefooted,  to  test 
the  healing  qualities  of  the  Holy  Spring  with  the 
added  strength  of  faith,  and  on  the  high  festival  of  the 
Ascension  the  Emperor  himself  would  visit  here  in 
solemn  state. 

One  of  these  emperors,  of  whom  we  have  already 
heard  so  much,  was  stoned  by  the  populace  on  his 
return,  and  only  with  difficulty  regained  his  palace  by 

191 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

the  Sea  of  Marmora — the  Emperor  Nicephorus 
Phocas.  This  gate  contributed  again  to  the  history 
of  the  Byzantine  Empire  when  Alexius  Stratego- 
poulos,  general  of  Michael  Palseologus,  entered  here 
in  1 26 1,  drove  out  the  Latin  Emperor  and  re- 
instated his  Imperial  master.  Andronicus,  that  rebel, 
entered  the  city  by  this  gate  to  usurp  his  fathers 
throne. 

Amurath  II  camped  here,  in  the  grounds  of  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Spring,  during  the  first  half  of  the 
fifteenth  century,  and  less  than  fifty  years  later,  in  the 
last  scene  of  the  Eastern  Empire's  romantic  history,  a 
battery  of  three  guns  attacked  this  point. 

A  few  hundred  yards  to  northward  of  the  historic 
portals  of  Silivria  is  the  third  military  gate,  and  at  the 
northern  tower  that  flanks  it  the  inner  wall  recedes 
for  a  short  space  and  then  comes  out  again  to  continue 
in  a  straight  line.  This  recess  is  called  the  Sigma, 
and  in  the  quarter  that  lies  behind  this  section  of  the 
wall,  dramatic  events  in  the  life  of  Constantinople  took 
place. 

Our  travellers  must  again  return  to  those  dim  ages 
of  turbulent  history.  Constantine  IX  had  died  in  1028, 
the  last  of  the  Macedonian  dynasty  founded  by  that 
Basil  whom  we  watched  as  he  entered  by  the  side 
entrance  of  the  Golden  Gate  weary  and  travel-stained, 

192 


is  of  Thecxiosius 

lines  three  daughters,    Eudoxia   took   the   veil  and 

Theodora  declined  to  marry.     There  remaincxi  Zoe* 

who  professed  herself  a  willing  sacrifice  at  the  hymeneal 

altar.     A   bridegroom    was    found    for    her    in    one 

Romanus  Orgyrus,  a   patrician,  but   he   declined   the 

honour   on  the    sufficient   ground    of  being    already 

married.     Romanu.^  informed  that  blindness  or 

I  he  alternatives  to  a  royal  match,  and  his 

devotf^d  wife  sacrificed  her  happiness  to  her  husband's 

•  tness  by  retiring  into  a  convent  and 

o  the  Imperisil  nuptials. 

flame. 

Gate  of  Rhegium,  or  Yedi  Mevlevi  Haneh. 
oi   hThe  Gate  of  Rhegium — now  known  as  Yedi  Mevlevi  Haneh, 

Z  ^P°^^^ed  Michael  immediately,  and  ratted  him  to 
the  throne  as  fourth  emperor  of  that  name.  But  he, 
too,  proved  disappointing,  so  yet  another  Michael,  a 
nephew,  was  introduced  into  the  story  by  John  the 
Eunuch,  brother  of  the  TEmperor. 

^el  IV  died  and  Michael   V  reigned  in  his 
s  His  first  act  was  to  disgrav  c 

the  exile  of  his  a 
raotht:.,    tiie   ii.  ay   emperora 

'  oused  t^  The  Emperor  J* 

^  ^93 


fesal 


I,  : 


HH/iAH   ivajv^ 


\.rfarfi^H  \vp>\vf*lA  \h^  r  » 


«f 


'MS 


«% 


,1 


The  Walls  of  Theodosius 

but  later  to  rise  to  the  Imperial  Purple.  Of  Constan- 
tine's  three  daughters,  Eudoxia  took  the  veil  and 
Theodora  declined  to  marry.  There  remained  Zoe, 
who  professed  herself  a  willing  sacrifice  at  the  hymeneal 
altar.  A  bridegroom  was  found  for  her  in  one 
Romanus  Orgyrus,  a  patrician,  but  he  declined  the 
honour  on  the  sufficient  ground  of  being  already 
married.  Romanus  was  informed  that  blindness  or 
death  were  the  alternatives  to  a  royal  match,  and  his 
devoted  wife  sacrificed  her  happiness  to  her  husband's 
safety  and  greatness  by  retiring  into  a  convent  and 
thus  removing  the  only  bar  to  the  Imperial  nuptials. 
So  Romanus  reigned  as  third  emperor  of  that  name, 
though  not  for  long,  for  Zoe  found  in  her  chamberlain, 
Michael  the  Paphlagonian,  attractions  superior  to  those 
of  her  lawful  spouse.  Romanus  died  suddenly  and 
Zoe  married  Michael  immediately,  and  raised  him  to 
the  throne  as  fourth  emperor  of  that  name.  But  he, 
too,  proved  disappointing,  so  yet  another  Michael,  a 
nephew,  was  introduced  into  the  story  by  John  the 
Eunuch,  brother  of  the  Emperor. 

Michael  IV  died  and  Michael  V  reigned  in  his 
stead,  but  only  for  a  year.  His  first  act  was  to  disgrace 
his  uncle  John,  his  second  was  the  exile  of  his  adopted 
mother,  the  daughter  of  so  many  emperors.  This 
roused  the  populace  to  fury.  The  Emperor  Michael 
N  193 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

Calaphates,  as  he  was  called  after  his  father's  trade, 
was  dragged  from  the  monastery  of  Studius,  where  he 
had  taken  refuge,  to  the  statue  of  Theodoslus  III  in 
the  quarter  of  the  Sigma.  Here  he  and  his  uncle 
Constantine  were  deprived  of  their  eyesight. 

Our  road  leads  on  and,  rising  slightly,  brings  us  to 
yet  another  gate,  known  to  the  chroniclers  of  Byzan- 
tine history  as  the  Gate  of  Rhegium,  a  town  some 
twelve  miles  distant,  now  called  Kutchuk  Tchekmejd^. 
This  gate  was  erected  by  the  Red  faction,  and  was  no 
doubt  at  one  time  a  busy  thoroughfare.  Now  it  is 
know  as  Yedi  Mevlevi,  Haneh  Kapoussi.  It  is 
almost  deserted ;  two  slender  cypress-trees  guard 
the  entrance,  through  which  you  may  see  a  white- 
turbaned  hodja  pass  on  his  way  towards  the  mosque, 
whose  tapering  minaret  gleams  over  the  broken,  ivy- 
clad  battlements. 

Rising  higher  as  we  go  on,  we  pass  stately  groups 
of  cypresses  on  our  left,  and  before  us,  where  the  road 
bends  slightly  to  the  right,  a  very  forest  of  those  trees 
guarding  a  Turkish  cemetery  where  thousands  of  the 
faithful  are  interred.  Let  us  step  on  to  one  of  those 
low  walls  that  cross  the  moat ;  their  original  purpose 
has  not  yet  been  definitely  ascertained  ;  their  summit 
used  to  taper  to  a  sharp  edge,  but  this  has  worn  away 
and  we  find  ample  standing  room.     Looking  back  the 

194 


IM:  \ 


I^hc    ^V 


urns,  W: 
f  heodo: 

!   his  uv: 


lie  chr^ 

a  10  wn  soi*ic 

.  uicnak  Tchekmejd^. 

i  gaic  was  ercccea  oy  uic  Ked  faction,  and  was  no 

uuubt  at  one  time  a  busy  thoroughfare.     Now  it  is 

know    as    Yedi    M-^^--'     n. ,...!.    t^. ......-..,:       t,     :-: 

almost    deserted;  .  vi'iv...c  .i  .,..^    ^^  ^  -: 

the   entrance,  thrc^,  .   r, ,;..-.,   vou  may  see  a  whit"- 

tJir^'in* -.'^    ^./.Hin    r\^-,<  nr)    hU   way  tOWards    the    nin<irs   . 

Top  Kapoussi,  Gate  bi^  S*1 '^oili^N  JJP^*-  -       ■■ 

The    slight    bend    in    the   road   takes   u§   to   the    Gate   of 
St.  Romanus,  now  known  as  Top  Kapoussi.  ^    <-       U'-' 

vhere  the  road 
of  tho 
thousa 
:  a  to  one  of  those 

low  wai  ^leir  original  purpose 

has  not  certained  ;  their  summit 

used  to  tap  .  but  this  has  worn  aw  r 

and  we  find  ample  «ta  L9okihg  back  i: 


The  Walls  of  Theodosius 

way  we  came,  we  see  a  double  line  of  walls  and  towers, 
that  for  so  many  years  guarded  the  City  of  Constantine 
and  allowed  the  nations  of  the  West  to  evolve  from 
chaos.  The  moat,  once  a  serious  obstacle  to  an 
assailant,  now  produces  from  its  fertile  soil  the  fruits 
of  a  gardener's  labours.  Across  the  road  the  serried 
ranks  of  cypress-trees  in  their  impenetrable  gloom,  and 
right  away,  over  the  ruins  of  Yedi  Koule,  the  deep 
blue  Sea  of  Marmora  merging  into  the  clearer  azure 
of  a  southern  sky. 

The  slight  bend  in  the  road  takes  us  due  north, 
though  until  now  we  have  been  holding  a  point  or  two 
to  west,  and  across  a  worse  pavement  than  before  we 
search  the  Gate  of  St.  Romanus,  now  known  as  Top 
Kapoussi.  Beyond  the  road  this  gate  is  guarded  by 
an  unnumbered  multitude  that  rest  here  under  the 
forest  of  cypress-trees.  Two  roads  converge  upon  this 
gate,  so  there  is  a  stream  of  oriental  life  continually 
passing  through  it  by  day.  Troops  marching  out  to 
field-drill  in  the  morning,  mules  and  ponies  entering  with 
baskets  full  of  country  produce,  and  perhaps  a  string 
of  camels,  laden  with  Eastern  goods,  setting  out  for 
the  Western  provinces.  And  in  the  gateway  you  may 
see  signs  of  commercial  enterprise,  small  booths  and 
stalls  doing  trade   in    a   dignified   and   oriental  way, 

while  a  cobbler  sits  in  the  sunshine  mending  shoes, 
N  2  195 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

the  wearer  of  which  waits  barefooted  and  deep  in 
contemplation. 

From  sunrise  to  sunset  this  place  is  full  of  the 
sounds  and  sights  that  travellers  in  the  East  are  wont 
to  enjoy,  but  at  night  it  is  given  over  to  haunting 
memories. 

Entering  this  gate  one  afternoon,  the  Artist  had  an 
experience  which  he  is  burning  to  relate.  A  tram-line 
leads  from  here  into  the  heart  of  the  city  ;  a  car  was 
about  to  start  and  the  Artist  boarded  it.  Drawn  by  a 
horse  with  no  ambition  to  break  records,  the  journey 
proceeded.  The  other  passengers  were  two  Armenians, 
Army  doctors,  and  a  Turk,  a  young  man  of  independ- 
ent habits  and  picturesquely  clad.  All  paid  their  fare 
to  the  conductor,  a  venerable  Turk  with  a  long  grey 
beard.  All  but  the  young  man — he  declined  em- 
phatically. "  But  it  is  usual  to  pay,"  protested  the 
conductor — "  every  one  pays  who  travels  by  this  tram  ; 
those  effendl  there  have  paid."  No !  the  young  man 
would  not  unbend — he  still  more  resolutely  refused. 
So  in  despair  the  old  conductor  turned  to  the  other 
passengers  and  asked:  ''May  this  be?"  ''Is 
this  the  will  of  Allah?"  The  doctors  shook  their 
heads  and  answered  nothing  ;  the  Artist,  usually  so 
well  informed,  held  his  peace,  for  he  is  no  authority  on 
the  view  that  Allah  may  take  of  tram-fares.     So  the 

196 


bay. 


if.. 


w:^ 


-4\ 


'■,iJW^ 


i*M'"'--''1 '^  »r 


ruing 

Xrtist  had  an 
tram -hi: 

Aboui  I  uoarc' 

10  break 

pr>  ;  nc  otnerpassengf 

Army  ao  t„!„^ 'L-    '  '^  •   ."i  I'l^n  oi  .nacpenc^ 

^  Third  Military  Gat^!  ^ 

„,..>..■!:.  An.,..:.!    ^i, .,:..    »=, ... 

In  the  gateway  you  may  see  signs  of  commercial  enterprise. 
From  sunrise  to  sunset  this  place  is  full  of  the  sounds  and 
sights  that  travellers  in  the  East  are  wont  to  enjoy 


hcad^^  .sually   ;- 

well  i'  'his  peacf^;,  for  he  is  no  authori' 

So  tl 


The  Walls  of  Theodosius 

journey  proceeded,  but  not  for  long.  The  road  being 
up,  the  passengers  alighted,  though  they  had  paid  a  fare 
entitling  them  to  travel  to  the  end.  This  no  doubt 
was  Kismet — but  it  affords  a  striking  instance  of  the 
way  in  which  the  rain  of  Allah  falls  on  just  and  unjust 
without  preference  or  distinction. 


197 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE   VALLEY   OF   THE   LYCUS 

The  sun  is  declining  towards  the  west,  and  the  tall 
cypresses  cast  lengthening  shadows  across  our  road. 
We  may  linger  no  longer  at  the  Gate  of  St.  Romanus, 
for  we  have  much  to  see  before  the  day  draws  to 
a  close.  So  let  us  go  forward  along  the  road  again. 
Before  we  leave  the  shade  of  the  cypress  groves  the 
road  begins  to  descend.  Here  to  our  left  the  con- 
queror, Sultan  Mahomed,  pitched  his  tent  where  he 
could  survey  the  warlike  operations  carried  on  against 
the  city  in  the  valley  below.  To  our  right  the  moat 
deepens,  and  the  enormous  strength  of  the  position 
chosen  for  the  walls  of  Theodosius  becomes  more 
apparent  here  than  anywhere.  Below  us  lies  a  deep 
valley — the  valley  of  the  Lycus,  the  spot  which  the 
genius  of  Mahomed  chose  for  the  final  assault  upon  the 
city  of  Constantine,  and  here  it  was  that  the  history 
of  the  Byzantine  Empire  was  brought  to  an  abrupt 
conclusion. 

By  the  golden  light  of  the  afternoon  sun  this  valley 

198 


r^^^ 


rfully  peaceful  road  leads  up  to  the 

t  on  the  other  side  like  ?,  band,  strongly 

contrasting  with  th^  deep  tone  oi  s  that 

crown  the  height.  Beyond  them  again  you  see  the 
further  side  of  the  Golden  Horn,  serene  and  be 
while  a  faint  haze  rising  from  the  water  speak»  oi 
ind  istr  %  nd  shimmers,  in  the  last  rays  of  the  sun. 
We  enter  the  Gate  of  St  Romanus  for  a  minute  and 
DOte  the  strength  of  the  remaining  towers  of  the  inner 


lu  KUK  JThe  Valley  of  the  Lycus,  looking  North. 
:,.  -.    D,.t, 

The  road  leads  up  to  the  ridge  on  the  other  side  like  a  white 

band,  strongly  contrasting  with  the  deep  tone  of  the  cypresses 

that  crown  the  height. 

a  coat  of  dust  acquired  in  their  researches  on  the  road, 
Tn  the  left  the  massive  inner  wall  descends  and 
forest   of  cypress-trees    upon    the   northern 
The  wall  rises  again  and  r 
I    cc7vcrcd  by  the  fortifi 

k:sque  of  ih 

1  to  St  George. 
\a&  yet  a 
tormy  tu  Hey  of  th 


hhT 

01  driT 

jM  awoiD  Ifiiil 


The  Valley  of  the  Lycus 

looks  wonderfully  peaceful.  The  road  leads  up  to  the 
ridge  on  the  other  side  like  a  white  band,  strongly 
contrasting  with  the  deep  tone  of  the  cypresses  that 
crown  the  height.  Beyond  them  again  you  see  the 
further  side  of  the  Golden  Horn,  serene  and  beautiful, 
while  a  faint  haze  rising  from  the  water  speaks  of 
industry,  and  shimmers  in  the  last  rays  of  the  sun. 
We  enter  the  Gate  of  St.  Romanus  for  a  minute  and 
note  the  strength  of  the  remaining  towers  of  the  inner 
hall.  A  few  steps  further,  turning  to  the  left,  gives  us 
a  comprehensive  view  of  that  historic  spot,  the  valley 
of  the  Lycus,  seen  from  within  the  walls.  At  our  feet 
down  in  the  valley,  clusters  of  little  wooden  houses  cling 
to  the  old  walls  and  are  shaded  by  acacia-trees.  This 
is  a  Bohemian  settlement,  where  you  may  see  women 
unveiled  and  dressed  in  tattered  garments  of  bright 
colours,  and  little  brown  children  wearing  nothing  but 
a  coat  of  dust  acquired  in  their  researches  on  the  road. 
To  the  left  the  massive  inner  wall  descends  and 
shows  a  forest  of  cypress-trees  upon  the  northern 
bank  of  the  Lycus.  The  wall  rises  again  and  reaches 
the  highest  ground  covered  by  the  fortifications  of 
Theodosius.  Here  stands  the  Mosque  of  Mihrimah 
upon  the  site  of  a  church  dedicated  to  St.  George. 
But  that  chaotic  mass  of  ruin  at  our  feet  has  yet  a 
stormy  tale  to  tell,  so  we  descend  into  the  valley  of  the 

199 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

Lycus.  The  memories  of  those  last  years  of  the 
Byzantine  Empire,  of  the  days  when  the  proud  towers 
and  stout  walls  of  Theodosius  tottered  and  fell  before 
the  black  powder  invented  by  a  German  monk  but 
used  by  a  ruthless  Eastern  warrior  with  such  disas- 
trous effect,  hang  so  thick  that  former  events  are 
almost  lost  in  obscurity. 

Before  the  city  extended  as  far  as  these  walls,  and 
ere  there  was  occasion  for  them,  the  valley  of  the 
Lycus  was  a  pleasant  place  to  see.  The  stream  had 
not  sunk  into  insignificance,  but  still  watered  fair 
meadows.  Here  3000  white-robed  catechumens  were 
assembled  one  Easter  morn  awaiting  baptism  at  the 
hands  of  St.  John  Chrysostom.  As  we  have  already 
heard,  he  had  just  been  deprived  of  his  high  office  by 
the  intrigue  of  the  Empress  Eudoxia.  Yet  he  meant 
to  perform  the  ceremony,  and  would  have  done  so  but 
for  Arcadius,  who  happened  to  pass  that  way  and 
ordered  his  guard  of  Goths  to  disperse  the  crowd. 

Then  some  years  later,  when  these  proud  walls 
were  newly  built,  their  founder,  Theodosius  II,  rode 
down  from  the  heights  without  the  walls.  He  fell 
from  his  horse  and  died  a  few  days  later  from  the 
injury  caused  to  his  spine. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  the  history  of  that  race  that  over- 
threw the  last  remains  of  the  Roman  power.    The  race 

200 


1...   'v^^.r 


V 


t:  s  valley  wrested  the  tf 

Som  the  weak  hands  of  the  last  E  *  Emp 

the  Turks.     To  do  th  nust  go  t 

century  and  notice  the  state  of  Asia 
)n  to  Europe  at  that  time. 
in   ihe    sixth  century  there  appeared  out  of  the 
East  a  race  destined  to  overthrow  Byzantine  civiliza- 
tion   and    Persian    splendour,   a    power   destined   to 
stretch  its  conquering  arms  from  the  Euphrates  to  the 


The  Valley  of  the  Lycus,  from  Inside  the  Walls. 

Before  the  city  extended  as  far  as  these  walls,  and  ere  there 
was  occasion  for  them,  the  Valley  of  the  Lycus  was  a  pleasant 
place  to  see. 
c./.^.v. ,  ..ients  were  the  chase  and  the  care  of  i^^^M  .ad 

goats.     It  seemed  that  the^e  dwellers  In  tents  would 

never  know  anything  better  than  the   nomadic  I'f*^ 

v^^  force  arose  which  united  the  grou^. .   .. 

led    th^   proph.^t-^  nrd 

d  to  hh  fetth  » 


4>»v 


^r^<^a!^ 


w- 


The  Valley  of  the  Lycus 

that  in  this  valley  wrested  the  ancient  bulwark  of  Europe 
from  the  weak  hands  of  the  last  Byzantine  Emperor — 
the  Turks.  To  do  this  we  must  go  back  into  the 
records  of  the  sixth  century  and  notice  the  state  of  Asia 
and  its  relation  to  Europe  at  that  time. 

In  the  sixth  century  there  appeared  out  of  the 
East  a  race  destined  to  overthrow  Byzantine  civiliza- 
tion and  Persian  splendour,  a  power  destined  to 
stretch  its  conquering  arms  from  the  Euphrates  to  the 
Pyrenees,  and  from  the  Red  to  the  Black  Sea. 
The  nomad  races  of  Arabia  had  never  played  an 
important  part  in  the  history  of  the  world.  They 
lived  a  patriarchal  existence  in  their  rocky  fastnesses 
or  desolate  plains.  Their  system  did  not  encourage 
national  unity,  concentration  of  strength  on  consoli- 
dation of  resources.  They  had  never  engaged  in 
agriculture  nor  practised  any  handicraft  ;  their  sole 
employments  were  the  chase  and  the  care  of  sheep  and 
goats.  It  seemed  that  these  dwellers  in  tents  would 
never  know  anything  better  than  the  nomadic  life. 
But  a  great  force  arose  which  united  the  groups  of 
tribes  into  a  nation — Mahomed  the  prophet — and 
having  conquered  and  converted  to  his  faith  the  whole 
Arabian  peninsula,  made  ready  with  the  forces  under 
his  control  to  spread  his  creed  into  all  lands. 

Mahomed's  general,  Khaled,  called  the  "  Sword  of 

20I 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

God,"  in  a  very  short  time  after  the  prophet's  death 
subdued  the  Persian  army  and  gained  its  empire  for 
his  master,  the  Caliph  Abu  Bekr,  Mahomed's  suc- 
cessor as  Commander  of  the  Faithful.  In  the  same 
reign  Syria  was  conquered  from  Heraclius,  Ecbatana 
and  Damascus  became  Mahomedan  towns  like  Mecca 
and  Medina.  Amron  the  general  of  Omar,  the  third 
Caliph,  added  Egypt  to  the  new  Empire,  and  in  less 
than  eighty  years  the  Arabs  had  conquered  every  foe 
they  encountered.  But  their  power  fell  as  quickly  as 
it  had  risen.  The  Empire  was  divided  into  inde- 
pendent Caliphates,  Spain,  Egypt  and  Africa,  but  with 
the  fate  of  these  the  traveller  is  well  acquainted. 
Damascus  became  the  capital  of  Calipha,  and  legend 
and  history  make  much  mention  of  the  men  who 
ruled  there  :  Haroun-al-Rashid,  the  contemporary  of 
Charlemagne,  Al-Mamoon  and  others  of  his  line. 
But  the  days  of  the  Arab  Empire  were  numbered, 
another  race  appeared  in  Asia  Minor,  coming  from 
their  hunting-grounds  in  Tartary — the  Turks. 

The  origin  of  this  newly-arrived  people  is  obscure — 
they  are  said  to  claim  descent  from  Japhet,  and  no 
doubt  he  will  serve  the  purpose  as  well  as  any  other 
of  the  sons  of  Noah.  An  English  historian  of  the 
seventeenth  century  (Knolles)  took  sufficient  interest 
in  the  Turks  to  write  their  history,  and  he  begins  with 

202 


The  Valley  of  the  Lycus 

these  remarks  :  "  The  glorious  empire  of  the,  Turks, 
the  present  terrour  of  the  world,  hath  amongst  other 
things  nothing  in  it  more  wonderful  or  strange  than 
the  poor  beginning  of  itselfe,  so  small  and  obscure  as 
that  it  is  not  well  knowne  unto  themselves,  or  agreed 
upon  even  among  the  best  writers  of  their  histories  ; 
from  whence  this  barbarous  nation  that  now  so  trium- 
pheth  over  the  best  part  of  the  world,  first  crept  out 
or  took  their  beginning.  Some  (after  the  manner  of 
most  nations)  derive  them  from  the  Trojans,  led  there- 
unto by  the  affinity  of  the  word  Turci  and  Teucri ; 
supposing  (but  with  what  probability  I  know  not)  the 
word  Turci,  or  Turks,  to  have  been  made  of  the 
corruption  of  the  word  Teucri,  the  common  name  of 
the  Trojans." 

The  **  Ten  Tribes  "  have  also  been  called  upon  to  act 
as  ancestry  to  the  Turkish  nation,  but  have  not  as  yet 
responded  to  the  call.  It  is  to  be  presumed  that  the 
Turks  are  a  mixed  race,  at  least  a  study  of  the  various 
and  very  different  types  you  see  leads  to  that  con- 
clusion. At  any  rate  the  Turks  were  there,  there's  no 
denying  it,  and  made  their  power  felt.  From  Tartary, 
where  in  the  fifth  century  Bertezena  established  a 
short-lived  Turkish  Empire,  this  race  spread  in  suc- 
cessive waves  over  the  whole  of  Asia.  One  wave 
overran  China,  which  remained  for  two  hundred  years 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

under  the  Tartar  sway.  Another  wave  achieved  the 
conquest  of  Bokhara  and  Samarkand,  and  gradually 
drew  nearer  to  the  western  part  of  Asia,  where  they 
first  heard  of  the  splendours  of  the  Empire  of  Con- 
stantinople. In  the  sixth  century  they  sent  an  am- 
bassador to  Justinian,  entered  into  alliance  with  him, 
and  engaged  to  rout  the  Abari  and  protect  the  frontiers 
of  the  Empire  from  their  inroads.  They  also  defended 
it  against  the  Persians,  and  defeated  them  on  the  Oxus. 
By  degrees  they  became  formidable  to  the  Eastern 
Empire,  but  their  progress  was  checked  by  the  Arabs, 
who  in  the  eighth  century  overran  their  country  and 
compelled  them  to  embrace  the  Mahomedan  faith. 
Soon  the  young  race  recovered  its  strength,  and  came 
to  the  assistance  of  the  Caliph  Motassem,  whose  nation 
was  then  on  the  down  grade,  and  no  longer  supplied 
the  men  whose  victorious  arms  had  carried  the 
Crescent  triumphant  to  so  many  countries.  Fifty 
thousand  Turkish  mercenaries  were  taken  into  the 
service  of  the  Caliph,  and,  like  the  Praetorian  Cohort 
of  Rome,  the  Janissaries  of  Constantinople  and  the 
Mamelukes  of  Egypt,  they  in  time  assumed  decisive 
voice  in  the  Government. 

A  Turkish  dynasty,  that  of  the  Samanians,  ruled 
over  most  of  the  territories  formerly  possessed  by  the 
Arab  Caliphs.    Of  this,  Mahmud  was  the  most  famous  ; 

204 


The  Valley  of  the  Lycus 

in  the  twelfth  century  he  conquered  Delhi,  Multan  and 
Lahore,  and  his  victorious  career  was  only  checked  by 
the  waters  of  the  Ganges  ;  he  was  the  first  to  bear  the 
title  of  Sultan. 

Another  Turkish  dynasty,  the  house  of  Seljuk, 
sprang  up  and  dispossessed  both  Sultan  and  Caliph  of 
the  territories  they  had  obtained.  The  dominions  thus 
acquired  were  increased  until  the  greater  part  of  Asia 
Minor  had  gone  to  form  the  Turkish  Empire.  The 
city  of  Nice  was  captured  to  become  the  Turkish 
capital,  and  the  Eastern  Emperor  Alexander  Comnenus 
was  forced  to  acknowledge  Suleiman  as  master  of  Asia 
Minor. 

But  reverses  were  in  store  for  the  young  Empire 
of  the  Turks  ;  the  Eastern  Emperor  gathered  together 
an  immense  army  of  Macedonians,  Bulgarians  and 
Moldavians.  He  solicited  the  aid  of  the  Crusaders, 
and  bands  of  French  and  Norman  knights,  headed  by 
Ursel  Baliol,  whom  Gibbon  calls  **  the  kinsman,"  or 
'•  father  of  the  Scottish  Kings."  The  Turks  were 
everywhere  defeated.  Nice  and  the  western  portions 
of  Asia  Minor  were  regained,  and  Iconium  became  the 
Turkish  capital.  Yet  more  trouble  came  to  the  house 
of  Seljuk,  and  this  time  from  the  East,  where  Jenghiz 
Jehan  with  his  fierce  Mongols  was  abroad,  under 
whose  attacks  the  dynasty  of  Seljuk  fell. 

205 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

The  bearer  of  a  romantic  name,  and  one  known 
to  all  true  Moslems,  now  appears  upon  the  scene. 
Ertoghrul,  the  son  of  Suleiman,  who  had  been  acci- 
dentally drowned  in  the  Euphrates,  was  marching  with 
a  portion  of  his  tribe,  444  horsemen,  who  chose  him 
for  their  leader,  towards  Iconium,  the  Seljukian  king- 
dom. He  accidentally  met  the  forces  of  Ala-ed-din 
flying  before  a  host  of  Mongols.  Joining  forces  with 
the  Sultan  he  changed  the  fortunes  of  the  day  and 
routed  the  enemy.  The  grateful  Sultan  rewarded  him 
with  the  Principality  of  Sultan  Oeni  or  Sultan's  Front, 
on  the  western  border  of  the  Iconian  kingdom.  Here 
Ertoghrul  settled  as  Warden  of  the  Marches. 

In  his  new  office  Ertoghrul  enhanced  the  reputation 
he  had  already  earned  as  faithful  vassal  of  the  Sultan. 
He  carried  his  victorious  arms  further  afield,  and  at 
Broussa  defeated  the  combined  forces  of  Greeks  and 
Mongols.  The  territory  he  had  thus  gained  was 
conferred  upon  him,  his  power  grew,  and  with  it  that 
of  his  race;  he  died  in  1288,  and  Othman,  his  son, 
was  chosen  as  his  successor. 

This,  the  progenitor  of  those  who  in  unbroken 
succession  have  ruled  over  the  destinies  of  the  Turkish 
Empire,  and  whose  descendant  occupies  the  throne  of 
the  Eastern  Empire  to-day,  was  twenty-four  years  old 
when  he  succeeded  to  the  government  of  his  tribe. 

206 


The  Valley  of  the  Lycus 

To  great  strength  and  beauty  (he  was  called  Kara, 
from  the  jet-black  colour  of  his  hair  and  beard)  he 
added  courage  and  energy  ;  and,  like  all  great  con- 
querors, had  the  gift  of  reading  the  characters  of  men. 
This  enabled  him  to  make  wise  and  fortunate  selections 
of  those  whom  he  employed  to  carry  out  his  designs. 

Othman's  long  and  prosperous  reign  laid  the 
foundation  of  the  present  Turkish  Empire.  His 
campaigns  were  victorious,  the  territory  of  neighbour- 
ing Turkish  tribes  was  incorporated  in  his  dominions, 
and  the  Greek  Empire  was  forced  to  contribute  to  the 
aggrandizement  of  his  realm. 

During  an  interval  of  peace,  from  1291  to  1298, 
Othman  devoted  his  energies  to  the  internal  govern- 
ment of  his  dominions  and  became  famous  for  the 
toleration  which  he  exercised  towards  his  Christian 
subjects.  Not  till  the  death  of  Ala-ed-din,  the  Seljuklan 
Sultan,  did  Othman  declare  himself  independent.  He 
did  not  even  then  assume  the  full  title  of  sultan  or 
emperor,  but  with  his  two  next  successors  reigned 
only  as  emirs  or  governors. 

When,  after  several  years  of  peace,  Othman  had 
consolidated  his  resources,  he  went  to  war  again,  and 
in  order  to  give  his  followers  greater  zest  and  increase 
their  zeal,  proclaimed  himself  the  chosen  defender  of 
the  Moslem  faith  and  declared  that  he  had  a  direct 

207 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

mission  from  Heaven.  He  thus  infected  them  with 
a  fanaticism  to  the  full  as  fierce  and  effective  as  that 
which  had  urged  Mahomed's  hordes  on  their  career  of 
conquest.  The  only  evil  deed  which  may  be  attributed 
to  this  great  ruler  was  committed  in  a  fit  of  rage. 
His  venerable  uncle  Dundar,  who,  seventy  years 
before,  had  been  one  of  the  four  hundred  and  forty-four 
horsemen  who  followed  the  banner  of  Ertoghrul,  en- 
deavoured to  dissuade  him  from  an  attempt  on  the 
Greek  fortress  of  Koepri  Hissar.  Othman,  observing 
that  some  of  his  officers  agreed  with  Dundar,  raised 
his  bow  and  shot  his  uncle  dead.  Thus  the  com- 
mencement of  Ottoman  sway  was  marked  by  the 
murder  of  an  uncle,  even  as  the  foundation  of  Rome 
began  with  fratricide. 

Koepri  Hissar  fell  before  Othman's  fanatic  on- 
slaught at  Houyon  Hissar,  where  he  for  the  first  time 
encounted  a  regular  Greek  army  in  the  field.  Again 
he  conquered.  In  the  beginning  of  the  fourteenth  cen- 
tury Othman  fought  his  way  to  the  Black  Sea,  leaving 
behind  him  several  towns  unsubdued,  amongst  these 
Broussa.  Othman's  body  was  failing  fast  from  old 
age,  and  he  had  to  send  his  son  Orchan  against  a 
Mongolian  army,  which  the  Greek  Emperor,  unable  to 
stem  the  tide  of  Turkish  conquest,  had  incited  to 
attack  the  enemy's  southern  frontier.     Orchan   beat 

208 


The  Valley  of  the  Lycus 

them,  then  returned  to  besiege  Broussa,  and  in  1326 
took  it. 

Othman  only  survived  to  hear  the  joyful  news. 
Bestowing  his  blessing  on  his  son,  he  said  :  **  My  son, 
I  am  dying,  and  I  die  without  regret,  because  I  leave 
such  a  good  successor  as  thou.  Be  just,  love  goodness 
and  show  mercy.  Give  the  same  protection  to  all  thy 
subjects,  and  extend  the  faith  of  the  prophet."  Orchan 
buried  his  father  at  Broussa,  and  erected  a  splendid 
mausoleum  over  his  remains.  Acting  on  his  father  s 
advice  he  made  Broussa  his  capital,  and  it  remained  so 
until  the  fall  of  Constantine's  city.  The  standard  and 
scimitar  of  Othman  are  still  preserved  as  objects  of 
veneration.  As  we  have  said  before,  the  sword  of 
Othman  is  girded  on  each  succeeding  Sultan  amid 
the  prayers  of  his  people  :  **  May  he  be  as  good  as 
Othman." 

The  romantic  history  of  the  kingdom  built  up  by 
Othman  was  worthily  continued  by  his  sons.  Orchan 
was  proclaimed  Emir  and  urged  his  brother  to  share 
the  throne.  But  Ala-ed-din  declined,  asking  only  the 
revenues  of  a  single  village  for  his  maintenance. 
Orchan  then  said,  ''  Since,  brother,  you  will  not  accept 
the  flocks  and  herds  I  offer  you,  be  the  shepherd  of  my 
people — be  my  Vizier."  And  so  this  high  office  was 
instituted.  Ala-ed-din  devoted  himself  to  the  domestic 
o  209 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

policy  of  the  State  and  undertook  the  first  steps  towards 
military  organization.  The  troops  that  had  followed 
Othman  to  victory  were  the  same  men  who  fed  the 
flocks  on  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates  and  Sakaria. 
They  formed  loose  squadrons  of  irregular  cavalry,  and 
after  the  war  returned  to  their  peaceful  avocation  and, 
in  the  main,  the  mass  of  the  nation  continued  to  be  the 
source  whence  in  the  time  of  war  the  Ottoman  troops 
were  drawn. 

But  Ala-ed-din  saw  the  need  of  a  standing  army 
who  should  make  war  their  sole  business  and  pro- 
fession, and  first  raised  a  body  of  infantry  called  Jaza 
or  Piade.  The  next  corps  raised  were  the  famous 
Janissaries.  They  were  entirely  composed  of  Christian 
children  taken  in  battle  or  in  sieges  and  compelled  to 
embrace  the  Mahomedan  faith.  A  thousand  recruits 
were  added  yearly  to  their  numbers,  and  they  were 
called  Jeni  Iskeri,  or  new  troops,  from  which  is  derived 
the  European  corruption  Janissaries.  These  Janis- 
saries were  trained  to  warlike  exercises  from  their 
youth,  and  subjected  to  the  strictest  discipline.  They 
were  not  allowed  to  form  any  territorial  connection 
with  the  land  that  had  adopted  them,  their  prospects 
of  advancement  depended  entirely  on  their  skill  in  the 
profession  of  arms,  and  the  highest  posts  in  that  pro- 
fession  only   were   open    to    them.      Their    isolated 

2IO 


The  Valley  of  the  Lycus 

position  and  the  complete  community  of  interest  which 
united  them  prevented  the  degeneracy  and  enervation 
which  so  speedily  settled  upon  every  Eastern  Empire 
when  once  the  fire  of  conquest  had  died  down. 

Ala-ed-din  further  extended  the  military  organiza- 
tion of  the  Othman  crown,  and  in  a  manner  that 
rendered  the  fighting  forces  readily  adaptable  to  every 
exigency.  A  corps-d' dlite  was  formed  of  specially 
chosen  horsemen.  These  were  called  Spahis.  Th^n 
further  corps  were  organized,  the  Silihdars,  or  vassal 
cavalry ;  Ouloufedji,  or  paid  horsemen ;  Ghoureha, 
or  foreign  horse  ;  Azabs,  or  light  infantry ;  and  the 
Akindji,  or  irregular  light  horse.  We  have  met  these 
latter  before,  when  describing  battles  in  which  Turks 
and  Franks  were  opposed  to  each  other.  The  Akindji 
gathered  together  in  irregular  hordes  to  accompany 
every  military  enterprise,  they  foraged  for  the  regular 
troops  and  swarmed  round  them  to  cover  a  retreat  or 
harass  a  retiring  enemy,  they  received  no  pay  like  the 
Janissaries  nor  lands  like  the  Piade,  and  were  entirely 
dependent  on  plunder. 

The  story  of  a  clever  ruse  is  told  of  one  of  Orchan's 
campaigns  against  the  Greeks.  Othman  had  left  Nice 
and  Nicomedia  untaken.  Orchan  took  the  latter  town 
and  invested  Nice.  Andronicus,  the  Greek  Emperor, 
crossed  the  Hellespont  with  a  hastily-raised  levy  to 
02  211 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

raise  the  siege  of  Nice,  but  Orchan  met  and  defeated 
him  with  a  portion  of  his  army.  Now  the  garrison  of 
Nice  had  been  advised  of  the  Emperor's  intention  and 
daily  expected  his  arrival.  So  Orchan  disguised  800 
of  his  followers  as  Greek  soldiers  and  directed  them 
against  the  fortress.  These  pseudo-Greeks,  to  give 
the  ruse  a  yet  greater  semblance  of  reality,  were 
harassed  by  mock  encounters  with  Turkish  regular 
horse.  The  disguised  Turks  appeared  to  have  routed 
the  enemy,  and  headed  for  the  city  gate.  The  garrison 
had  been  watching  the  proceedings,  were  thoroughly 
deceived  and  threw  open  the  gate.  An  assault  by 
the  besieging  army,  assisted  by  the  force  that  had 
gained  ingress,  brought  the  city  into  Orchan's 
possession. 

By  1336  Orchan  had  included  all  North- Western 
Asia  Minor  in  the  Ottoman  Empire,  and  the  next 
twenty  years  of  peace  he  devoted  to  the  work  of  per- 
fecting the  military  organization  and  consolidating  the 
resources  of  his  newly-acquired  territories  ;  in  this  his 
brother  Ala-ed-din  loyally  supported  him.  Thus  in  the 
middle  of  the  fourteenth  century  we  find  two  empires 
face  to  face,  separated  only  by  the  narrow  channel  of 
the  Bosphorus.  On  the  Asiatic  side  the  Ottoman 
Empire,  homogeneous,  for  all  its  subjects  were  of  the 
same  race,  strong  and  united  ;  on  the  other  side  the 

212 


The  Valley  of  the  Lycus 

Greek     Empire,    distracted    by    constant    feud    and 
domestic  disturbance. 

It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  under  such 
conditions  occasion  should  have  arisen  for  Turkish 
interference  in  the  affairs  of  the  Eastern  Empire,  and 
a  feud  between  the  Genoese  and  the  Venetians  offered 
a  suitable  excuse. 

The  Genoese  were  in  possession  of  Galata ;  their 
commercial  rivals,  the  Venetians,  sought  them  out  and 
attacked  them  on  the  Bosphorus.  Now  Orchan  hated 
the  Venetians,  for  they  had  arrogantly  refused  to  receive 
an  ambassador  whom  he  sent  to  Venice.  The 
Venetians  were  the  allies  of  the  Empire,  and  Orchan 
had  only  a  few  years  before  married  the  daughter  of 
Cantacuzene,  the  Greek  Emperor.  Desire  to  be 
avenged  prompted  Orchan  to  ally  himself  with  the 
Genoese,  against  the  Empire  and  the  Venetians.  His 
son  Solyman  crossed  the  Hellespont  by  night  with  a 
handful  of  faithful  followers  and  took  Koiridocastron, 
or  "  Hog's  Castle."  No  attempt  was  made  to  regain 
the  castle,  as  the  Emperor  was  fully  occupied  not  only 
with  the  armies  of  his  rebel  son-in-law  Palaeologus,  but 
with  the  Genoese  fleet. 

The  Greek  Emperor  found  himself  in  sore  straits 
and  implored  the  aid  of  Orchan.  This  Orchan  readily 
granted  and  sent  ten  thousand  troops  over  to  Europe. 

213 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

who,  after  beating  the  Slavonic  army  of  Palaeologus, 
did  not  return  to  Asia,  but  took  a  firm  footing  under 
Solyman,  upon  the  European  mainland.      Before  long 
the  Turkish  Empire  had  acquired  a  number  of  strong 
places,  and  it  was  evident  that  they  had  come  to  stay. 
Soon  after  these  events  Solyman,  when  engaged  in 
his  favourite  sport  of  falconry,  was  thrown  from  his 
horse  and  killed.     He  was  buried  on  the  spot  at  which 
he   had   led    his   soldiers    into    Europe.      His   father 
Orchan  died  the  same  year,  after  a  reign  of  thirty-five 
years.     We  may  date  the  actual  foundation  of  Turkish 
greatness   in   Asia   and    its  effect   on  the   history  of 
Europe,  and  more  especially  of  Constantinople,  from 
the  reign  of  this  able  and  enlightened  monarch  and  his 
loyal    brother   Ala-ed-din.     The  endless    possibilities 
contained   in   that   strong   and  single-minded  race  of 
Turks  were  concentrated  on  the   banks  of  the  Bos- 
phorus,  their  advanced  guard  had  crossed  into  Europe 
and  had  there  secured  a  firm  foothold.     The  Turks 
were  knocking  at  the  gates  of  Constantinople. 

Our  travellers  have  heard  already  how  Amurath  I, 
the  youngest  son  of  Orchan,  inherited  his  fathers 
throne.  We  have  followed  Amurath's  romantic  career, 
how  he  restored  the  Empire  his  father  left  him,  after 
subduing  the  Prince  of  Carmania,  who  with  some  other 
Turkish   Emirs   rose   against    the   house  of  Othman. 

214 


The  Valley   of  the  Lycus 

Amurath's  rule  was  extended  yet  further  in  Europe  at 
the  cost  of  the  Greek  Empire,  and  in  the  middle  of  the 
fourteenth  century  he  made  Adrianople  his  European 
capital.  Under  Amurath  the  Ottomans  first  en- 
countered those  Slavonic  races  with  whom  they  were 
for  centuries  after  so  frequently  engaged  in  hostilities. 
Following  the  fortunes  of  Amurath,  we  heard  the  din 
of  battle  when  the  Western  chivalry  was  opposed  to 
the  dashing  valour  of  the  Turk,  and  saw  the  Crescent 
victorious  when  the  turmoil  subsided  on  the  banks  of 
the  Maritza.  The  warlike  host  of  the  Slavonic  con- 
federacy passed  in  pageant  before  us,  to  meet  its  fate 
at  Kossova,  where  Amurath,  the  conqueror,  perished 
in  the  fight. 

The  victorious  son  of  Amurath,  Bajazet,  who  first 
of  the  house  of  Othman  assumed  the  title  of  Sultan, 
has  been  presented  to  our  travellers.  With  those  who 
took  their  walks  on  the  Atrium  down  by  the  Sea  of 
Marmora,  we  watched  the  events  that  marked  the 
reign  of  Bajazet  and  felt  the  increasing  pressure  to 
which  the  failing  Greek  Empire  was  submitted.  If  we 
wish  to  gain  some  idea  of  the  terror  that  was  felt,  let 
us  imagine  London  slowly  isolated  by  an  irresistible 
host  of  the  Chinese  and  trying  hard  to  secure  the 
spiritual  sanction  and  material  protection  of  her  old 
enemy,  the  Pope  of  Rome.     We  heard  the   ringing 

215 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

blows  dealt  by  the  Turks  as  they  hammered  at  the 
walls  of  Constantine's  city,  and  breathed  again  when 
Tamerlane  and  his  savage  hordes  threatened  the 
eastern  provinces  of  Bajazet's  Asiatic  Empire.  When 
Bajazet  was  slain  at  Angora  we  saw  how  the  Imperial 
City  revived,  and  how  hope  lingered  during  the  years 
that  Mahomed  I  employed  in  putting  his  Asiatic 
house  in  order.  But  shortly  after,  yet  another 
Amurath  appeared  in  Europe  and  laid  siege  to  Con- 
stantinople ;  but  the  time  was  not  yet  come,  and  he 
was  compelled  to  withdraw  to  his  Carmanian  frontier. 
Nevertheless,  the  Turks  were  even  then  virtual  masters 
of  the  situation  ;  Thessalonica  had  fallen,  sacked  by 
Amurath  II,  and  nothing  but  the  Imperial  City  and  a 
small  tract  of  country  round  it  was  left  to  the  Eastern 
Empire. 

The  travellers  have  witnessed  the  growth  of  the 
city  which  Byzas  founded,  and  seen  how,  according  to 
the  utterance  of  the  oracle,  it  prospered.  They  have 
watched  the  city  expand  under  the  fostering  care  of 
the  earlier  Emperors,  and  have  noted  how  the 
security  its  walls  afforded  led  to  a  mode  of  life 
which  unfitted  the  populace  for  their  own  defence. 
But  for  the  stoutness  of  these  walls  the  city  might 
have  fallen  long  before  the  advent  of  Mahomed 
the  Conqueror,  and  Europe  therefore   is   deeply    in- 

216 


The  Valley  of  the  Lycus 

debted  to  these,  the   monuments  of  the  Theodosian 
dynasty. 

But  the  day  was  drawing  near  when  even  this 
massive  chain  of  masonry  should  prove  of  no  avail  to 
check  the  onrush  of  a  vigorous  enemy ;  the  encircling 
walls  and  sentinel  towers  had  almost  accomplished 
their  task  of  ten  centuries,  and  behind  them  a  nervous, 
faint-hearted  populace  awaited  the  end  of  all  things. 
What  rumours  spread  throughout  the  city  of  that 
fiendish  invention  of  the  Latins — the  black  powder. 
Reports  came  in  of  how  that  foreign  inventor,  who 
had  deserted  to  the  Turks  on  account  of  ill-usage  by 
the  Greeks,  had  built  a  foundry  under  Mahomed's  eye 
at  Adrianople  and  cast  a  cannon  of  vast  destructive 
power,  a  cannon  with  a  bore  of  twelve  palms'  breadth, 
which  could  contain  a  charge  that  drove  a  stone  ball 
of  six  hundred  pounds  weight  a  distance  of  a  mile,  to 
bury  it  in  the  ground  to  the  depth  of  a  furlong.  Then 
frenzy  seized  the  city,  and  Constantine,  the  last 
Emperor  of  that  name,  endeavoured  to  renew  com- 
munion between  the  Greek  Church  and  the  See  of 
Rome.  So  Cardinal  Isidore  of  Russia  entered  the 
city  as  the  legate  of  Pope  Nicholas  V,  and  with  him 
came  a  retinue  of  priests  and  soldiers.  The  union  of 
the  Churches  was  solemnized  at  St.  Sophia,  and 
immediately  gave  rise  to  more  disorder  in  the  streets. 

217 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

This  was  the  state  of  Constantine's  Imperial  City  when 
Mahomed  II  encamped  outside  the  walls  and  planted 
his  victorious  standard  before  the  Gate  of  St.  Romanus. 

Though  the  walls  of  the  city  were  stout  and  true, 
the  power  of  the  defenders  was  not  equal  to  that  of 
the  hosts  arrayed  against  them.  The  store  of  gun- 
powder, which  by  this  time  had  found  its  way  into  use 
in  the  Greek  army,  was  not  adequate  for  a  protracted 
siege,  and  though  the  Emperor  Constantine  comported 
himself  as  a  hero  should,  the  spirit  of  his  people  had 
long  been  divorced  from  military  valour. 

The  formidable  array  of  Mahomed's  army  stretched 
all  along  the  land-walls,  from  the  Sea  of  Marmora  to 
the  Golden  Horn,  and,  as  we  have  related,  the  upper 
reaches  of  that  harbour  were  held  by  the  galleys  he 
had  transported  overland.  In  the  first  days  of  the 
siege  the  Greek  garrison  made  frequent  sorties  to 
destroy  the  earthworks  behind  which  the  aggressors 
planned  their  mines,  and  made  much  progress  in  the 
art  of  countermining.  But  the  serious  losses  such 
operations  entailed,  and  the  dwindling  store  of  powder, 
put  an  end  to  these  enterprises. 

So  from  April  till  May  of  1453  the  siege  of  Con- 
stantinople continued.  The  Emperor  and  his  brave 
ally  Giustiniani,  commander  of  a  Genoese  contingent, 
held  the  foe  at  bay,  and  encouraged  the  defenders  by 

218 


The  Valley  of  the  Lycus 

their  example.  Engines  of  war,  ancient  and  modern, 
the  newly-invented  cannon,  and  the  towers  of  offence 
well  known  as  far  back  as  the  early  wars  of  Rome, 
took  their  places  side  by  side  for  the  first  and  last  time 
in  the  annals  of  military  history. 

Let  us  look  down  upon  the  valley  of  the  Lycus,  a 
scene  of  desolation  to-day,  and  fill  in  the  gaps  that 
Turkish  arms  have  made.  Let  us  people  the  recon- 
structed bulwarks  with  defenders,  while  in  the  valley 
below  and  on  all  the  ground  before  the  walls  swarm 
the  hosts  of  Mahomed.  Here  round  the  Imperial 
standard  of  the  Sultan  are  camped  his  best  troops, 
those  formidable  Janissaries  who  are  kept  in  leash 
until  the  last  decisive  charge.  Meanwhile,  the  lighter 
irregular  forces  skirmish  about  the  moat  and  ramparts. 
Down  in  the  valley  and  opposite  the  fifth  military  gate 
the  famous  gun  is  placed — a  mighty  engine  of  war 
for  those  early  days  of  artillery  ;  it  fired  seven  times 
a  day,  and  for  its  conveyance  a  carriage  of  thirty 
waggons,  drawn  by  a  team  of  sixty  oxen,  was  required. 
Other  lighter  artillery  was  placed  here,  all  thundering 
at  the  tower  that  flanks  the  military  gate  to  northward. 
Above  the  roar  of  cannon  and  the  din  of  battle  we 
may  hear  the  sound  of  falling  masonry,  and  when  the 
smoke  fades  away  the  ruins  of  that  tower  strew  the 
terrace.     All  the  small  towers  of  the  outer  wall  and 

219 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

their  connecting  curtains  have  been  laid  low,  the 
ddbris  fills  the  moat,  and  every  sign  points  out  that 
the  time  for  the  final  assault  has  arrived. 

It  is  daybreak  on  May  29,  1453,  and  we  resume  our 
place,  looking  down  into  the  valley  of  the  Lycus.  The 
hostile  leaders  had  spent  the  preceding  night  each  in 
a  characteristic  manner.  Mohamed  had  assembled  his 
chiefs  and  issued  final  orders ;  he  dispatched  crowds 
of  dervishes  to  visit  the  tents  of  his  troops  to  inflame 
their  fanaticism  and  promise  them  great  rewards — 
double  pay,  captives  and  spoil,  gold  and  beauty,  while 
to  the  first  man  who  should  ascend  the  walls  the 
Sultan  pledged  the  government  of  the  fairest  province 
of  his  dominions. 

The  Emperor  Constantine  likewise  assembled  his 
nobles  and  the  bravest  of  his  allies ;  he  adjured  them 
to  make  the  most  strenuous  efforts  in  the  defence,  and 
to  encourage  the  troops  to  do  their  utmost.  He  had 
no  rewards  to  offer,  but  the  example  of  their  Prince 
infused  the  courage  of  despair  into  the  leaders  of  his 
despondent  troops.  A  pathetic  scene  this,  as  described 
by  the  historian  Phranza,  who  assisted  at  it.  When 
the  Emperor  had  delivered  his  last  speech  he  and  his 
followers  embraced  and  wept.  Then  each  went  his 
way,  the  leaders  to  hold  watch  at  their  posts,  the 
Emperor  to  a  solemn  mass  at  St.  Sophia,  where  for 

220 


The  Valley  of  the  Lycus 

the  last  time  in  the  history  of  that  sacred  shrine  the 
mysteries  of  the  Christian  faith  were  adored  by  any 
christian  worshipper. 

Constantine  then  returned  to  the  palace  and  asked 
forgiveness  of  any  of  his  servants  whom  he  might  have 
wronged.  He  then  rode  round  the  ramparts  to  inspect 
his  troops  and  utter  a  last  word  of  hope  and  encourage- 
ment. 

Without  the  customary  signal  of  the  morning  gun 
the  assailants  rose  with  the  sun  and  dashed  in  succes- 
sive waves  against  the  walls  of  Theodosius.  Time 
after  time  they  were  repulsed.  The  Sultan  on  horse- 
back, his  iron  mace  in  his  hand,  watched  the  tide  that 
hurled  itself  against  the  walls  and  towers  of  Constanti- 
nople, to  surge  back,  and  again  to  be  reinforced  by 
others  who  met  the  same  fate.  Around  the  Sultan 
ten  thousand  of  his  chosen  troops  impatiently  awaited 
the  signal  for  attack. 

Meanwhile  the  courage  and  numbers  of  the 
defenders  ebbed  away.  Giustiniani,  wounded  in  the 
hand,  withdrew,  and  with  him  the  Genoese.  A  rumour 
spread  that  the  Turks  had  forced  an  entrance  at  the 
Kerko  Porta.  Constantine,  who,  mounted  on  a  white 
arab,  was  directing  operations  from  the  inner  terrace 
by  the  fifth  military  gate,  dashed  along  the  rampart  to 
help  if  help  were   needed.      Indeed  the    Turks   had 

221 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

gained  admittance,  but  had  again  been  speedily 
expelled.  So  Constantine  returned  the  way  he  came, 
and  resumed  his  position  by  a  small  postern-gate  that 
gave  from  the  inner  wall  on  to  the  terrace  by  the  fifth 
military  gate.  When  he  arrived  there  the  fighting 
masses  of  the  Sultan's  bodyguard  and  Janissaries  were 
surging  over  the  ruins  of  the  outer  wall  and  over  the 
corpses  of  their  predecessors  on  to  the  inner  wall. 
The  fury  of  their  onslaught  beat  down  all  resistance, 
and  the  numbers  of  the  Christians  were  now  but  one 
to  fifty  of  the  Ottomans.  A  gigantic  Janissary  Hassan 
was  first  upon  the  walls,  he  and  those  with  him  were 
thrown  back ;  they  charged  again,  and  fell  to  make 
way  for  others.  In  swarms  they  came,  those  fiery 
Janissaries,  under  the  weight  of  whose  tumultuous 
onslaught  the  Christian  garrison  was  overpowered. 
The  victorious  Turks  rushed  in  at  the  breaches  in  the 
wall,  others  had  forced  the  gate  of  the  Phanar  on  the 
Golden  Horn,  and  Constantine's  fair  city  was  given 
over  to  the  sword. 

Thus  after  a  siege  of  fifty-three  days  Constantinople 
fell  before  the  scimitar  of  Othman,  whose  descendant 
reigns  here  to  this  day.  And  what  of  Constantine  IX, 
the  last,  perhaps  the  bravest,  and  certainly  the  most 
unfortunate  bearer  of  an  illustrious  name?  He  was 
seen  at  his  post  by  the  postern-gate,  bearing  his  part 

222 


The  Valley  of  the  Lycus 

as  a  soldier  in  the  defence  of  his  city.  He  had  laid 
aside  the  Purple,  and  the  nobles  who  fought  around 
his  person  fell  at  his  feet,  until  he  too  was  cut  down  by 
an  unknown  hand,  his  body  buried  under  a  mountain 
of  the  slain.  We  may  with  Gibbon  apply  those  noble 
lines  of  Dryden — 

"  As  to  Sebastian — let  them  search  the  field ; 
And  where  they  find  a  mountain  of  the  slain, 
There  they  will  find  him  at  his  manly  length, 
With  his  face  up  to  Heaven,  in  that  red  monument 
Which  his  good  sword  had  digged." 

So,  gentle  travellers,  ere  we  turn  away  from  this 
historic  spot,  let  us  stand  here  a  moment,  here  where 
the  great  cannon  hurled  missiles  against  the  walls  of 
Theodosius.  The  Lycus,  now  an  insignificant  stream, 
but  yet  so  old  and  memorable  in  history,  trickles  away 
gently  towards  the  ruined  ramparts.  It  finds  ingress 
under  one  of  the  ruined  towers  to  our  right.  In  front 
of  us  rise  the  remains  of  those  walls  that  guarded  the 
city  through  many  centuries.  There  is  the  built-up 
entrance  of  what  was  once  the  fifth  military  gate, 
beside  it  the  jagged  ruins  of  the  flanking  tower,  the 
gate  of  which  we  witnessed  as  the  drama  of  the  last 
siege  was  played  before  us.  In  front  and  all  along 
to  either  hand  the  outer  wall  and  moat  are  but  a  mass 
of  ruins,  and  from  the  heights  to  north  and  south  those 

223 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

solemn  cypresses  that  guard  the  graves  of  the  warriors 
who  fell  here,  look  down  upon  a  scene  of  desolation. 
One  more  look  upon  the  ruined  curtain  through  which 
the  built-up  arch  gave  ingress  to  retreating  Greeks 
and  Ottoman  assailants  on  that  29th  of  May,  there  in 
the  angle  caused  by  the  wall  and  its  southern  flanking 
tower  you  may  faintly  see  the  remains  of  a  postern- 
gate.  There  fell  Constantine,  the  last  of  the  Emperors 
of  the  East. 


224 


oV'V 


IZ&l  ^1^  ,9» 


^i-mth 


■■f/ 


^roR 


1^ 


9nO 


3dJ 


J.'^^ 


The  W 


The  Valley  of  the  Lycus,  showing  where  the  last 
Emperor  fell. 

One  more  look  upon  the  ruined  curtain  through  which  the 
built-up  arch  gave  ingress  to  retreating  Greeks  and  Ottoman 
assailants  on  that  29th  of  May,  there  in  the  angle  caused  by 
the  wall  and  its  southern  flanking  tower  you  may  faintly  see 
the  remains  of  a  postern-gate.  There  fell  Constantine,  the  last 
of  the  Emperors  of  the  East. 


224 


CHAPTER  X 

FROM  THE  GATE  OF  EDIRN^  TO  THE  GOLDEN  HORN 

Our  travellers  are  approaching  their  journey's  end. 
The  road  leads  on  northward  up  a  steeper  incline  than 
that  which  took  us  to  the  Gate  of  St.  Romanus. 
Under  the  shade  of  cypress-trees,  for  here  too  they 
stand  in  dense  and  sombre  gloom,  we  pass  the  Edirnd 
Kapoussi,  known  before  the  Turkish  conquest  as  the 
Gate  of  Charisius.  Here  the  walls  of  Theodosius 
recede  towards  the  city.  To  reach  them  again  we 
enter  a  little  wooden  gate  into  a  Greek  cemetery. 
An  attendant  Greek  springs  up  out  of  the  long  grass 
with  a  hungry  leer,  and  though  we  may  not  understand 
his  speech,  his  hand  extended  to  us,  palm  upwards, 
makes  his  meaning  clear.  The  Artist  proudly  points 
out  that  on  all  three  occasions  he  knows  of,  the  palm 
of  that  hand  returned  empty  to  the  suppliant's  trouser- 
pocket.  A  few  paces  due  west  take  us  again  to  the 
edge  of  the  moat,  out  of  the  rank  grass  where  a  few 
goats  are  browsing,  and  from  among  the  brambles  that 
spring  out  of  the  crannies  in  the  ruined  scarp  and 
p  225 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

counterscarp,  rise  sturdy  fig-trees.  Their  grey  stems, 
the  twisted  branches  and  deep  grey  foliage  form  a 
sympathetic  foreground  to  the  mass  of  ruins  that  rise 
beyond  them,  bathed  in  the  waning  light.  This  is  the 
Palace  of  the  Porphyrogenitus,  of  him  born  in  the 
Purple. 

A  flanking  tower  almost  hides  the  west  front  of  the 
palace  from  our  view,  the  curtain  that  connects  this 
tower  with  the  next  one  to  the  south-west  has  a  romantic 
history.  The  wall  was  formerly  much  higher,  and  was 
pierced  by  a  small  gate,  known  as  the  Kerko  Porta,  or 
Circus  Gate.  We  well  remember  the  name  of  this 
gate  as  it  played  its  part  on  that  dread  day  when  the 
glory  of  the  Eastern  Empire  subsided  into  a  heap  of 
smouldering  ruins.  A  rumour  arose  during  the  last  day 
of  the  siege,  and  ran  like  a  heath-fire  along  the  lines  to 
the  defence,  that  the  Turks  had  gained  admission  to 
the  city  by  this  gate.  They  did,  but  whether  by 
treachery  or  their  own  valour  no  one  knows.  They 
were  driven  out  again,  and  for  a  short  time  longer  the 
Emperor's  heroism  delayed  the  inevitable. 

In  time  a  remarkable  tradition  attached  itself  to 
this  small  gate.  The  Greeks  believed  that  when  the 
city  should  again  be  captured,  it  would  be  by  Christians, 
the  first  of  whom  would  enter  by  this  postern.  The 
Turks,  of  course,  had  heard  of  this  tradition,  so  when 

226 


sdaJIH  shT 


s 


The  Wall 


counterscarp,  r. 


liins  that 


:  west  iront  ot  the 

hat  connects  tlub 

%y.>    1^^  r.  M.  ii-fi  est  has  a  roina:  * 

formerly  much  higher,  and  was 

;    .  nazW  gate,  known  as  the  Kerkc  Porta,  or 

.late.     We  w^'"  rF-n',rmV./.T   the  nar"*^  .-r  th;.. 

MiUyed  its  p  ...   .:ead  da\ 


.'•JI,-**       TT  SkS 


The  Palace  of  T£-f^S^aYROGENiTul!^^lijli-TH^^  Fosse. 


;^t  dav 


This   is  the  Palace  of  the    Porphyrogenitus,  of  him    born 
in  the  Purple.  .. 

ice,  that  the  Turks  had  gained  admission  - 
hy   this  They   did,    but   whether  1  v 


this  sm: 

{. 

the  whom 

Turks,  of  course*  b 


hort  time  Ion. 
able. 

attached  i' 
lieved  that  when  tl 
i  would  be  by  Christians, 
liter  by  this  postern.     T' 
•'d  of  this  tradition 
26 


From  Gate  of  Edirne  to  Golden  Horn 

a  northern  enemy  came  down  upon  them,  when  the 
Slavs  rose  in  their  strength  and  forced  the  passes  of 
the  Balkans,  they  took  such  precautions  as  their  ardent 
faith  in  such  superstitions  suggested.  They  pulled 
down  the  curtain  so  that  the  Russians  might  not  enter 
through  the  Kerko  Porta,  and  replaced  it  by  a  smaller 
wall. 

Before  we  enter  by  a  little  doorway  through  the 
Turkish  wall,  we  will  walk  along  what  was  once  the 
terrace,  and  look  up  at  the  ruins  of  this  historic  palace. 
There  are  traces  of  an  archway  that  seem  to  have  con- 
nected the  palace  with  its  western  flanking  tower.  It 
is  said  that  on  this  archway  a  balcony  rested.  Possibly 
a  doorway  led  from  the  purple  chamber  on  to  this 
balcony,  for  here  the  infant  prince  for  whose  birth 
arrangements  had  been  made  in  that  chamber,  was 
held  up  to  overlook  the  country  stretching  away  into 
the  western  provinces,  and  solemnly  proclaimed 
*'C«sar  Orbi." 

Entering  by  the  doorway  in  the  Turkish  wall  we 
get  a  view  of  this  imposing  ruin  from  the  foot  of  a 
stout  tower,  the  last  of  that  chain  of  defences  built  in 
the  Theodosian  era.  The  majestic  proportions  of  this 
building,  despite  the  irregularity  of  the  window  open- 
ings, are  best  seen  from  here ;  and  here  again  we  may 
notice  the  remains  of  yet  another  balcony  and  in  con- 

P  2  227 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

tinuation  of  the  legend,  gather  that  the  infant  prince 
took  his  first  view  of  the  city  from  here,  and  on  this 
spot  was  proclaimed  ''Caesar  Urbis." 

To  enter  the  Palace  of  the  Porphyrogenitus  we 
must  walk  along  a  narrow  street  with  the  usual  little 
wooden  houses  on  either  side.  Through  a  narrow 
entrance  and  across  a  yard,  which  is  by  some  described 
as  a  glass  factory,  because  attempts  are  made  here  to 
manufacture  bottles  out  of  broken  window-panes,  a 
footpath  through  rank  growth  leads  to  our  goal. 
Where  we  are  passing  was  a  courtyard  which  never 
echoed  to  the  ring  of  an  armed  heel,  for  it  was  for- 
bidden to  awake  the  Daughter  of  the  Arch,  as  Echo 
was  picturesquely  called  by  Eastern  courtiers. 

Historians  do  not  say  for  certain  who  it  was  that 
built  this  palace.  Most  of  them  inclined  to  the  belief 
that  it  derived  its  name  and  origin  from  Constantine 
Porphyrogenitus,  a  builder  of  many  castles,  and  thus 
would  put  its  date  in  the  tenth  century. 

We  would  like  to  reconstruct  this  oblong  building, 
to  rebuild  the  arches  that  supported  its  three  storeys,  and 
fill  up  the  gaps  that  time  and  impious  hands  had  torn 
in  the  mosaic  patterns  of  brick  and  stone  that  decorated 
the  exterior.  By  the  aid  of  imagination  we  may 
succeed  in  this,  but  not  in  giving  to  the  interior  its 
former  splendour.     All  we  may  safely  do  is  to  go  back 

228 


•V 


lf-«-*J 


^^e^  I®" 


-  -  St 

••'A 


The  W:^^'  -LUiiiuiopic 

tinuatic  id,  gzii 

took  b  md  on  this 


he   P;^ 


the  us* 


Mi  oi    brokeri  wiiidow-paae.?,  a 
^rowih   leads    to 

we  arc  pciijbin^  was  a  courtyard  wrnca  never 
K:.  jv*  vi  to  the  ring  of  an  armed  heel,  for  it  was  for- 

The   Palace  of  the  Porphyrogenitus,  from  within 
...^   p.,.,>,......v-,4-...THE  Walls.  /^i^.v.. 

The  majestic  proportiohs  of  this  building  are  best  seen'Frdrn 
here  ;  and  here  again  we  may  notice  the  remains  of  yet  another 
balcony  and,  in  continuation  of  the  legend,  gather  that  the 
infant  prince  took  his  first  view  of  the  city  from  here,  and  on 
this  spot  was  proclaimed  "  Caesar  Urbis." 

if^Wrmg  building, 

toreys,  and 

fill  up  ipious  hands  had  torn 

in  the  moss  of  brick  and  stone  that  decorated 

of  imagination  we  may 
succeed  in  ih:  .giving  to  the  interior 

former  splendi  ay  safely  do  is  to  go  b    • 

228 


,*\    ^  A 


^'-^'^^. 


^gru,rvMU$,a.^^ 


From  Gate  of  Edirne  to  Golden  Horn 

to  those  days  when  history  was  made  here,  take  up  a 
strand  or  two  of  the  City's  and  the  Empire  s  skein  of 
destiny. 

Near  here  and  separated  from  this  palace  only  by 
a  courtyard  stood  yet  another,  a  lordlier  one,  that  of 
Blachernae.  This  was  the  usual  residence  of  the 
Imperial  family  in  the  fourteenth  century,  so  Andro- 
nicus  III  found  the  Palace  of  the  Porphyrogenitus 
convenient  quarters  when  he  came  to  wrest  the  sceptre 
from  his  grandfather,  Andronicus  II. 

The  history  of  this  revolt  gives  some  insight  into 
the  state  of  affairs  that  reigned  in  the  Imperial  City. 
Andronicus  the  Elder  had  devoted  the  best  part  of  his 
reign  to  an  absorbing  interest  in  the  disputes  of  the 
Greek  Church.  On  this  account,  perhaps,  he  had 
failed  to  appreciate  the  rising  power  of  the  Ottoman 
Empire.  According  to  the  custom  of  the  Palaeologi, 
Andronicus  associated  his  son  Michael  with  the  honours 
of  the  Purple.  Michael  proved  an  exemplary  Caesar 
in  every  respect,  and  his  son,  also  Andronicus,  was  in 
time  admitted  to  the  dignity  of  Augustus.  So  there 
was  a  triumvirate  of  Caesars  in  the  Imperial  Purple. 
But  Andronicus  the  Younger  turned  out  a  spendthrift 
and  a  profligate,  and  matters  came  to  a  head  when  one 
night  he  shot  his  brother  Manuel  in  the  street.  The 
details  of  this  unsavoury  adventure  are  of  no  moment, 

229 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

suffice  it  to  relate  that  the  shock  of  his  son's  iniquity 
brought  about  the  death  of  Michael,  already  ailing, 
,   within  eight  days  of  the  unhappy  occurrence. 

Andronicus  the  Elder  dispossessed  his  unruly  grand- 
son, who,  however,  escaped  from  confinement  under 
pretext  of  hunting,  and  raised  the  standard  of  revolt 
in  the  provinces.  During  a  ruinous  period  of  seven 
years  the  quarrel  between  grandfather  and  grandson 
was  protracted,  till  in  1328  Andronicus  the  Younger 
effected  his  entry  into  the  city  by  surprise,  forced  his 
aged  grandfather  to  retire,  and  as  third  monarch  of 
that  name  usurped  the  throne.  Four  years  after  his 
abdication  Andronicus  the  Elder  died,  known  to  his 
monastery  as  Monk  Authoy. 

Another  figure  played  a  prominent  part  within 
these  roofless  halls.  We  have  met  him  before,  John 
Cantacuzene,  of  whom  his  enemies  confessed  that  of 
all  the  public  robbers  he  alone  was  moderate  and 
abstemious.  He  resisted  all  the  attempts  of  Androni- 
cus III  to  raise  him  to  a  seat  beside  him  on  the  throne, 
and  at  that  Emperor's  death  became  guardian  of  his 
infant  son,  John  Palseologus. 

In  those  days  internal  peace  was  not  the  Empire's 
lot  for  long,  and  soon  a  conspiracy  was  formed  against 
Cantacuzene.  Anne  of  Savoy,  the  Dowager  Empress, 
was  persuaded  to  assert  the  tutelage  of  her  son,  and 

230 


From  Gate  of  Edirn6  to  Golden  Horn 

her  female  court  was  bribed  to  support  this  claim  by 
the  Admiral  Apocaucus.  The  Patriarch,  John  of  Apri, 
a  proud  and  weak  old  man,  joined  the  conspiracy,  and 
even  assumed  the  claims  to  temporal  power  of  a 
Roman  Pontiff ;  he  invaded  the  royal  privilege  of  red 
shoes  or  buskins,  placed  on  his  head  a  mitre  of  silk  or 
gold,  and  signed  his  epistles  with  hyacinth  or  green 
ink. 

While  John  Cantacuzene  was  abroad  on  public 
service,  the  conspirators  convicted  him  of  treason, 
proscribed  him  as  an  enemy  of  the  Church,  deprived 
him  of  all  his  fortune,  and  even  cast  his  aged  mother 
into  prison.  He  was  forced  to  assume  the  Purple,  and 
as  rebel  Emperor  endeavoured  to  resume  the  charge 
entrusted  to  him,  the  guardianship  of  John  Palaeologus. 
But  civil  war  devastated  the  provinces  that  yet 
remained  to  the  Empire,  and  not  till  Apocaucus  was 
murdered  by  some  nobles  whom  he  had  imprisoned 
was  peace  restored.  The  negotiations  to  this  end 
were  carried  on  between  the  Palace  of  the  Porphyro- 
genitus,  where  Cantacuzene  had  taken  up  his  abode, 
and  the  neighbouring  residence  of  Empress  Anne,  the 
Palace  of  Blachernse.  The  proceedings  ended  in 
peace,  and  the  marriage  of  Cantacuzene's  daughter  to 
John  Palaeologus.  But  the  sword  did  not  long  rust  in 
its  sheath.     Civil  war   broke  out   again,  and   finally 

231 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

John  Cantacuzene  sought  refuge  in  a  monastery,  where 
he  spent  his  declining  years  in  a  lengthy,  if  somewhat 
unprofitable,  treatise  on  the  divine  light  of  Mount 
Tabor. 

We  must  retrace  our  steps,  and,  leaving  by  the 
doorway  we  entered,  let  us  cast  a  glance  to  northward. 
The  moat  ends  abruptly,  and  a  curtain  projects  towards 
the  north-west  flanked  by  towers.  This  is  the  wall 
of  Manuel  Comnenus,  and  so  dates  from  the  middle  of 
the  twelfth  century.  Other  fortifications  must  have 
stood  here  before  that  time  to  guard  the  Palace  of 
Blachernse,  but  little  trace  remains  either  of  these  or 
of  the  palace  itself.  Yet  here  behind  these  walls,  or 
those  that  they  replaced,  the  dynasty  of  the  Com- 
nenians  lived  out  their  day,  and  they  deserve  a  word 
or  two  of  recognition  if  only  on  account  of  Anne,  the 
daughter  of  the  first  Alexius,  and  Manuel  the  builder 
of  this  wall.  Of  these,  the  former  aspired  to  fame  as 
historian  of  her  father  s  reign,  but  the  modicum  of 
truth  which  is  contained  in  the  voluminous  records  she 
compiled  is  much  obscured  by  elaborate  affectations  of 
windy  rhetoric.  No  doubt  the  description  of  her 
father's  character  was  dictated  by  filial  piety — it  stands 
in  sharp  contrast  to  the  last  words  that  that  Emperor 
heard  from  his  wife  Irene  :  **  You  die  as  you  have 
lived — a  hypocrite  !  " 

232 


VU 


idtePfSli^;^ 


h 


-:ir 


>.  ■  \ 


W' 


'I     'n'v 

.auvianMoD  iaunAM  ho  ^rawo' 
Ljoilt  8e*l£b  499  b^  rZuaanrdoD  IsuafiM  Iq  Haw  3dJ;>^i  ziriT 

f  w  ■ 


^;'v 


IJ.JJ- 


The  Walls  of  0' 
John  * 


5g  year.-  what 


aui  pro 
iowers.     This  is  tlie  wall 
so  dates  from  the  micV 
n  cations  m 

:  u<::i(jrr  ina>  iime   lu  guard  the   raiace   oi 

;«,  but  little  ^-  -    remains  either  of  the         - 

H  ihe  palace  itse^^  ---  ^^^hind  these  wali^,  -u 

those  that  they  x^j_^... ..,.;,  u.v    ^*;.aasty  of  t^*-  ^'.^r^., 

Tower  of  Manuel  Comnenus. 

This  is    the  wall  of  Manuel  Comnenus,  and  so  dates  from 
the  middle  of  the  twelfth  century. 

'It   the   modicum  ■:•• 

's  she 

jI" 

'\0  doubt   the  i    of  her 

lands 
in  rds  that  t^ 

'  heard  ie  as  you  have 

lived — a  hyr 

232 


-S>!! 


From  Gate  of  Edirnd  to  Golden  Horn 

The  Empress  Irene  tried  to  exclude  her  surviving 
sons,  and  to  place  the  power  of  government  in  the  fair 
hands  of  Anne,  but  the  order  of  male  succession  was 
asserted  by  those  able  to  enforce  it.  The  fair  historian, 
Anne  Comnena,  no  doubt  in  order  to  add  one  more 
elaborate  chapter  to  the  high-sounding  verbiage  with 
which  she  had  clothed  the  history  of  her  time,  conspired 
to  poison  her  brother  John  ;  her  husband,  Bryennius, 
prevented  the  design  and  John  Comnenus  reigned  in 
his  father's  stead.  He  generously  forgave  his  sister, 
and  no  doubt  much  to  the  edification  of  future  genera- 
tions her  momentous  work  continued.  In  all  the 
history  that  is  recorded  by  the  grim  walls  that  sheltered 
the  city  of  Constantine,  there  are  but  few  events  that 
leave  a  pleasant  memory,  few  rays  of  gladdening  light 
that  pierce  the  turmoil  of  angry  passions,  the  darkness 
of  sordid  details,  the  strife  and  anguish  that  largely 
composed  the  life  of  the  city  Byzas  founded.  And, 
alas  !  these  rare  events  serve  but  to  make  the  contrast 
stronger  and  to  intensify  the  shadows  that  hang  about 
these  ruined  palaces  and  ramparts. 

We  have  traced  the  history  of  Constantinople 
through  its  walls  up  to  the  time  when  they  could  no 
longer  hold  out  against  the  assaults  of  those  who  now 
carry  on  the  Imperial  traditions.  But  there  are  yet 
places  left  for  us  to  visit — they  have  their  tales  to  tell, 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

and  of  all  that  remains  to-day,  the  story  of  the  reign 
of  John  Comnenus  is  the  pleasantest.  In  him  the 
Empire  found  a  ruler  whose  days  were  never  darkened 
by  conspiracy  or  rebellion,  save  for  that  one  instance 
already  mentioned.  His  nobles  feared  him,  his  people 
loved  him,  and  he  had  no  need  to  punish  or  forgive 
any  personal  enemy.  In  his  private  life  he  emulated 
Marcus  Aurelius  :  he  was  frugal  and  abstemious,  severe 
with  himself  and  indulgent  to  others.  He  proved 
successful  in  his  warlike  measures  against  the  Turks, 
and  astonished  his  Latin  allies  by  the  skill  and  prowess 
of  the  Greeks  when  engaged  in  a  holy  war.  He  led  his 
troops  from  Constantinople  to  Antioch  and  Aleppo, 
there  a  slight  wound  in  his  hand,  received  when 
hunting,  proved  fatal,  and  cut  short  his  prosperous 
reign. 

The  imposing  towers  before  us  stand  in  their 
great  strength  as  a  monument  to  one  of  whose  bodily 
strength  romantic  tales  are  told.  Manuel,  the  youngest 
son,  succeeded  his  father,  John  Comnenus,  and  was 
acclaimed  victorious  by  the  veteran  troops  that  followed 
him  from  the  Turkish  wars  back  to  Constantinople. 
His  reign  of  thirty -seven  years  is  a  record  of  warfare 
in  many  distant  lands.  By  land  and  sea,  against  the 
Turks  on  the  plains  of  Hungary  and  along  the  coasts  of 
Italy  and  Egypt,  this  Emperor  led  his  troops  to  victory. 

234 


From  Gate  of  Edirne  to  Golden  Horn 

On  one  occasion  when  marching  against  the  Turks, 
he  posted  an  ambuscade  in  a  wood,  and  then  rode 
boldly  forward  in  search  of  perilous  adventure,  accom- 
panied only  by  his  brother  Isaac  and  the  faithful 
Axuch.  He  routed  eighteen  horsemen,  but  the 
numbers  of  the  enemy  increased,  and  Manuel  to  rejoin 
his  army  had  to  cut  his  way  through  500  Turkish 
horsemen.  Of  his  exploits  at  sea  mention  may  be 
made  of  an  incident  in  the  siege  of  Corfu.  Manuel's 
ship  towing  a  captured  galley  passed  through  the 
enemy's  fleet.  The  Emperor  stood  on  the  high  poop, 
opposing  a  large  buckler  to  the  volley  of  darts  and 
stones,  and  could  not  have  escaped  death  had  not 
the  Sicilian  admiral  enjoined  his  men  to  respect  the 
person  of  a  hero.  Many  and  remarkable  are  the 
stories  of  the  Emperor  Manuel's  exploits,  but  the  end 
of  his  career  saw  his  fortunes  wane,  his  last  campaign 
against  the  Turks  ended  in  disaster,  he  lost  his  army 
in  the  mountains  of  Pisidia,  and  owed  his  own  safety 
only  to  the  generosity  of  the  Sultan. 

The  wall  that  Manuel  Comnenus  built  stands 
high,  and  from  its  lofty  batdements  the  sentries  who 
held  their  watch  here  must  have  seen  many  strange 
and  stirring  sights.  One  day  in  the  year  1203,  when 
Alexius  III  Angelus  was  Emperor,  the  watchers  on 
the  tower  looked  down  upon  a  host  of  glittering  lances 

235 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

and  waving  pennants,  on  white  tents  and  the  pavilions 
of  haughty  nobles,  for  the  chivalry  of  the  West  was 
encamped  before  the  city  walls,  and  these  were  the 
hosts  of  the  fourth  crusade. 

The  re-conquest  of  Jerusalem  and  the  safety  of 
the  holy  places  were  the  motives  that  impelled  this 
army  towards  the  East,  and  no  doubt  many  of  them 
were  as  sincere  in  their  desire  to  attain  beatitude  in 
this  manner  as  their  precursors  on  similar  expeditions 
had  been.  An  illiterate  priest,  Fulk  de  Neuilly, 
followed  in  the  footsteps  of  Peter  the  Hermit,  and 
roamed  over  Europe  inciting  kings,  princes  and  knights 
to  arm  for  a  Holy  War  and  march  in  their  strength  to 
redeem  the  sacred  places  of  their  creed.  His  success 
was  nearly  as  great  as  that  of  the  first  missioner  to 
the  Crusades,  and  Innocent  HI  as  soon  as  he  ascended 
to  the  chair  of  St.  Peter,  supported  Fulk  de  Neuilly, 
and  proclaimed  the  obligation  of  a  new  crusade  in 
Italy,  France  and  Germany.  Fulk  paid  a  visit  to 
Richard  of  England  to  induce  him  to  join  in  the 
adventure.  That  gallant  monarch  declined,  no  doubt 
quite  satisfied  with  the  glory  gained  in  his  first 
crusade,  and  possibly  still  reminiscent  of  its  many 
misfortunes  ;  in  fact,  the  meeting  seems  to  have  ended 
in  an  unseemly  wrangle.  At  any  rate  Richard  of 
England    was   not   to    be    moved,    and    in   the   light 

236 


From  Gate  of  Edirn^  to  Golden  Horn 

of  his  former  experiences  we  cannot  altogether  blame 
him. 

The   propaganda   met  with   considerable   success 
elsewhere  in  Europe,  princes  and  knights  flocked  to 
the  standard  of  the  Cross  on  its  eastward  march.     A 
valiant   noble,  Jeffrey   of    Villehardouin,   Marshal    of 
Champagne,    who   wielded    the   pen   as   well   as    the 
sword,  has   left  on  record  the  names   of  those   that 
followed  this  adventure  ;  there  was  Thibaut,  Count  of 
Champagne,  with  his  hardy  bands  of  Saracens  from 
Navarre  ;   Louis,   Count  of   Blois  and  Chartres,   like 
Thibaut,  a  nephew  of  the  Kings  of  England  and  of 
France.     Simon  de    Montfort,  who   had  already  ex- 
pressed his  devotion  to  the  Roman  Church  by  cruelly 
persecuting  the  Albigenses,  also  joined  the  host,  and 
a    brother-in-law    of    Thibaut,     Baldwin,     Count    of 
Flanders,  with  his  brother  Henry  and  many  knights 
assumed  the   cross  at   Bruges.     The  leaders  of  this 
fourth  crusade,  unlike  their  predecessors,  gave  evidence 
of  some  consideration  for  the  minor  details  of  a  cam- 
paign.    Instead  of  rolling  like  a  vast  stream  across 
Europe,  helping  themselves  to  what  they  wanted  in 
the  name  of  the  Cross,  gathering  strength  in  numbers 
and  losing  it  in  cohesion,  these  new  crusaders  held  a 
counsel. 

Between   the  solemn   ratification  of  vows  offered 

237 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

by  these  pious  warrior  pilgrims  before  the  altar  and 
the  jousts  and  tournaments  which  were  never  wanting 
when  two  or  three  knights  were  gathered  together, 
time  was  actually  found  to  consider  ways  and  means 
and  debate  on  the  many  details  that  the  planning  of  a 
big  campaign  entails.  As  a  result  of  these  deliberations, 
six  deputies,  the  historian  Villehardouin  among  them, 
proceeded  to  Venice,  then  the  strongest  maritime 
power  in  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  to  solicit  her 
assistance  in  providing  sea  transport. 

The  six  ambassadors  were  hospitably  received  by 
Dandolo,  the  aged  Doge  whom  we  have  seen  before, 
standing  in  full  armour  on  the  high  poop  of  his  galley 
in  the  Sea  of  Marmora.  Negotiations  proceeded  with 
all  the  gravity  warranted  by  the  occasion,  and  before 
long  the  Doge  was  entitled  by  the  representatives  of 
the  Republic  to  make  known  the  terms  under  which 
Venetian  aid  could  be  secured.  The  Crusaders  should 
assemble  at  Venice  on  the  feast  of  St.  John  in  the 
following  year.  Preparations  could  by  then  have  been 
made  for  the  conveyance  of  4,500  knights  and  their 
squires  and  horses  along  with  20,000  infantry,  and 
during  a  term  of  nine  months  they  should  be  supplied 
with  provisions,  and  transported  to  whatsoever  coast 
**  the  service  of  God  and  Christendom  "  should  require. 
The  pilgrims  should  pay  a  sum  of  85,000  marks  of 

238 


From  Gate  of  Edirn6  to  Golden  Horn 

silver  before  their  departure,  and  all  conquests  by  sea 
and  land  were  to  be  equally  divided  between  the  con- 
federates. The  republic  agreed  to  join  the  armament 
with  a  squadron  of  fifty  galleys,  and  how  valiantly  they 
bore  themselves  was  revealed  to  us  when  we  watched 
the  naval  pageant  from  the  Asiatic  coast  of  the  Sea  of 
Marmora. 

Notwithstanding   the   liberality  displayed   by  the 
leaders  of  the  Crusade,  the  full  amount  due  by  agree- 
ment to  the  Venetians  could  not  be  raised,  so  that 
astute    Republic    requisitioned    the    services    of    the 
Crusaders    in    their    own    interests    to   reduce    some 
revolted  cities  in   Dalmatia.      The  Crusaders  sailed 
for   Zara   and   regained   that   city   for   the  Venetian 
Republic.     This   led    to   some    serious   disagreement 
between  the  Venetians  and   their  pilgrim  allies,  and 
the  Pope  even  went  to  the  length  of  excommunicating 
the  victors  of  Zara.     Pope  Innocent  had  designs  of 
his  own,  only  remotely  connected  with  the  object  of 
the  Crusade,  and  this  movement  gave  him  a  welcome 
opportunity  of  furthering  his  plans.     He  intended  to 
re-establish  the  power  of  the  Vatican  at  Constanti- 
nople, and  fortune  had  placed  a  useful  instrument  in 
his  power.     In  the  camp  of  the  Crusaders  was  young 
Alexius,  son  of  Isaac  Angelus.       Alexius  III,  when 
he  had  deposed  his  brother  Isaac,  and  deprived  him 

239 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

of  his  eyesight,  allowed  young  Alexius  to  escape 
unharmed.  The  Catholic  Princes,  the  leaders  of  the 
Crusade,  espoused  the  cause  of  the  lawful  heir  to  the 
Eastern  Empire,  and  as  a  reward  for  their  services 
Alexius  had  promised  that  he  and  his  father  would 
restore  the  supremacy  of  Rome  over  the  Eastern 
Church. 

The  Crusaders  landed  at  Chalcedon,  and  from 
Scutari  sailed  into  the  Golden  Horn.  The  sentries 
on  the  wall  saw  these  steel-clad  warriors  land 
their  gaily-caparisoned  steeds  from  the  flat-bottomed 
boats  in  which  they  had  crossed.  What  were  their 
feelings  when  they  saw  70,000  of  their  own  troops 
turn  and  flee,  led  by  their  Emperor,  before  the 
invaders  had  found  time  to  mount  or  couch  their 
lances  ? 

Then  followed  lengthy  negotiations  between  the 
Latin  camp  and  the  Palace  of  Blachernae,  then  a  siege, 
and  swarms  of  Franks  scaling  the  walls  that  Manuel 
Comnenus  built — and  in  the  silence  of  the  night  that 
followed,  when  the  assailants  had  been  beaten  back,  a 
whispered  rumour  ran  along  the  ramparts  and  grew 
into  a  sullen  roar — the  Emperor  Alexius  had  fled. 

The  distance  of  time  dims  the  awful  realities  that 
shook  the  foundations  of  the  Imperial  City  during  the 
few  centuries  that  passed  before  the  Turks  made  their 

240 


Frnm 


ca; 


ii,  iou;  > 

j  aie  by  the  nana  oi 

re;gn  ed,   that  of  another   .^uexius, 

A\   his   turn   made   way  for  the 

\rvs.    dynasty    ruled    over    the 

-A    Cuf5i>Uiuiui.»pie,      Six    Latin    and    four 

•nperors  oc;  •-^^  '^   ^'"""  ^u^.^..  ..r  /~*^r-  -ft-  for 


Gate  of  the  Bootmakers,  or  the  Crooked  Gate. 

Egri  Kapoussi,  formerly  the  Gate  of  Kaligaria — the  boot- 
makers' quarter. 

To-day  this  quaint  old  gateway  is  seldom  used,  the  industry 
that  gave  it  a  name  is  dead  ;  dead  warriors  rest  under  the 
cypress-trees  that  throw  their  slender  shadows  over  the 
tortuous  uneven  path. 

able  to  effect  a  breach,  and  the 

guns  were  removed  to  batter  against  the  Gate  of  St. 

.  o-day  this  quaint  old  gateway  is  seldom 

he  industry  that  gave  it  a  name  is  dead ;  dead 

.a;   ors  rest  under,  the  cypress-trees  that  throw  the: 

sie  J  '^  r  s  r  the  tortuous,  uneven  - 


giiard< 


w 


qqhJ  hht  f<5 


)    13  vo    awob£ 


lidrfi    woi di 


.uoqii>i   iigH 


From  Gate  of  Edirne  to  Golden  Horn 

victorious  entry.  As  in  a  glass  darkly  we  see  the 
blind  and  aged  Emperor  Isaac  taken  from  his  prison 
to  occupy  the  throne  for  a  short  space,  the  pathetic 
figure  of  his  son  Alexius,  fourth  of  that  name,  who 
reigned  not  a  year,  to  die  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin. 
A  shorter  reign  followed,  that  of  another  Alexius, 
called  Ducas,  who  in  his  turn  made  way  for  the 
Crusaders,  and  a  Latin  dynasty  ruled  over  the 
destinies  of  Constantinople.  Six  Latin  and  four 
Nicsean  emperors  occupied  the  throne  of  Caesar  for 
the  brief  period  of  sixty  years,  until  in  1260  Michael 
Palaeologus  restored  the  Empire  of  the  Greeks. 

Two  gates  pierce  these  walls,  Egri  Kapoussi, 
formerly  the  Gate  of  Kaligaria — the  bootmakers' 
quarter.  No  doubt  in  former  days  this  gate,  so 
near  the  palace  walls  of  Blachernse,  was  much  fre- 
quented. The  walls  here  were  submitted  to  a  deter- 
mined attack  during  the  last  siege,  but  the  ordnance 
of  that  day  was  not  able  to  effect  a  breach,  and  the 
guns  were  removed  to  batter  against  the  Gate  of  St. 
Romanus.  To-day  this  quaint  old  gateway  is  seldom 
used,  the  industry  that  gave  it  a  name  is  dead ;  dead 
warriors  rest  under  the  cypress-trees  that  throw  their 
slender  shadows  over  the  tortuous,  uneven  path  that 
leads  to  this  once  populous  quarter. 

The  high  walls  and  towers  that  guarded  this  place 
Q  241 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

have  seen  other  watchers,  who,  with  heavy  hearts  and 
weary,  straining  eyes,  gazed  out  into  the  darkness. 
For  here  Constantine  IX  and  Phrantzes  the  historian, 
his  friend,  saw  the  dawn  creep  up  out  of  the  East, 
lighting  up  the  Turkish  camps  and  revealing  the 
reason  of  those  ominous  sounds  that  had  disturbed 
the  stillness  of  the  night.  One  of  those  watchers 
never  lived  to  see  another  sunrise. 

Passing  fair  is  the  view  from  this  point.  From 
immediately  before  the  walls  the  country  fades  away 
into  the  west  in  easy  undulations,  the  gentle  curves 
of  a  distant  ridge  broken  here  and  there  by  a  cypress 
taller  than  his  upstanding  fellows.  Away  where  the 
Golden  Horn,  now  gleaming  silver  in  the  fading  light, 
turns  to  northward  to  merge  into  the  sweet  waters  of 
Europe,  the  banks  are  dedicated  to  the  dead,  and  here 
again  the  sombre  cypress  keeps  his  watch.  At  the 
foot  of  the  hill,  only  its  tapering  minarets  showing 
above  the  dense  mass  of  foliage,  is  a  holy  place  of 
Islam,  the  Mosque  and  Sanctuary  of  Eyub  occupying 
the  site  of  a  church  and  monastery  dedicated  to  SS. 
Cosmos  and  Damianus.  Bohemund,  the  Italo-Norman 
Count  of  Tarentum,  lodged  here  while  the  Crusaders 
negotiated  with  Alexius  I.  A  gate  led  to  this  sanctuary 
and  it  was  named  after  a  sheet  of  water  by  the  Golden 
Horn,  called  the  Silver  Lake. 

242 


From  Gate  of  Edirne  to  Golden  Horn 

The  watchers  on  the  tower  above  saw  young 
Andronicus  go  forth  with  hounds  and  falcons,  to  re- 
turn with  a  rebel  army  behind  him,  and  to  fill  up  that 
dark  page  of  history  we  have  already  quoted.  From 
here,  again,  the  sentinel  would  have  reported  the 
advent  of  John  Cantacuzene  with  an  army,  to  reason 
sternly  with  the  Empress  Anna  and  the  Admiral 
Apocaucus. 

A  plain,  now  overbuilt,  stretched  from  the  foot  of 
these  walls  along  the  Golden  Horn.  Here  Crum,  the 
Bulgarian  king,  whose  barbaric  rites  we  witnessed 
at  the  Golden  Gate,  was  asked  to  confer  with  the 
Emperor  Leo,  the  Armenian.  The  monarchs  agreed 
to  meet  unarmed,  but  Leo  intended  treachery,  which 
Crum  suspected,  and  he  hastily  withdrew  ;  and  though 
pursued  by  the  arrows  of  the  ambushed  archers,  he 
escaped,  wounded  in  several  places. 

Another  Bulgarian  king,  of  whom  mention  has  been 
made,  met  the  Eastern  Emperor  on  this  plain  when 
Simeon  and  Romanus  Lecapenus  concluded  peace. 

Now  let  us  proceed  on  the  last  stage  of  our  journey 
down  by  these  walls  of  Manuel  Comnenus  into  the 
plain.  High  and  of  enormous  strength  they  are  still, 
for  they  form  here  the  single  line  of  defence  ;  the 
ground  offered  too  many  obstacles  for  the  erection  of 
an  outer  rampart,  and  the  highest  point  of  which  we 
Q  2  243 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

are  leaving  behind  us  not  even  a  moat  was  possible. 
Some  doubt  exists  as  to  whether  the  wall  that  leads 
down  towards  the  Golden  Horn  is  of  a  piece  with  that 
of  Manuel  Comnenus.  It  differs  in  construction,  and 
bears  many  inscriptions  relating  to  the  repairs  which 
it  needed.  Thus  the  money  which  Irene,  wife  of 
Andronicus  II,  left  at  her  death,  was  devoted  to  these 
walls  by  the  Emperor.  John  VII  Palaeologus  is 
responsible  for  other  repairs,  according  to  an  inscrip- 
tion, which  reads  as  follows  (being  interpreted) — 

John  PALiEOLOGus 

Faithful  King 

And  Emperor  of  the  Romans 

IN  Christ,  God, 

on  the  second  of  the  month  of  August 

OF  the  year  6949  (1441) 

Perchance  this  was  the  last  occasion  on  which  the 
walls  of  Constantinople  were  repaired,  until  the  final 
siege  of  the  city,  when  Johannes  Grant,  a  German 
engineer  in  the  service  of  the  Greeks,  under  cover  of 
darkness  directed  his  workers  to  secure  the  portions 
of  the  wall  that  had  suffered  most  heavily  under  the 
fire  of  Turkish  ordnance,  by  such  devices  as  were 
known  in  his  day,  and  by  the  best  of  all  defensive 
methods,  counter  attack. 

We  reach  the  plain  below,  and  find  our  attention 

244 


bih  mad  lUiul  ^(9di  loi  Jliie  di£v.\9ri  =   ^t2 

Jnioq  Jesdgid  ddt  Jb  bnii  ^i/jqirtki  i^isso  as  lo  noiJoais 


-L  lie 


Walls  of 


=    VII 


Wall  of  Pal;eologian  Repair. 

Let  us  proceed— down  by  these  walls.  High  and  of  enormous 
strength  they  are  still,  for  they  form  here  the  single  line  of 
defence;  the  ground  offered  too  many  obstacles  for  the 
erection  of  an  outer  rampart,  and  at  the  highest  point  which 
we  are  leaving  behind  us,  not  even  a  moat  was  possible. 


From  Gate  of  Edirn6  to  Golden  Horn 

drawn  to  yet  another  sombre  mass  of  masonry,  pecu- 
liar in  design,  for  it  has  the  appearance  of  two  towers 
joined  together.  They  differ  in  structure,  for  whereas 
one  is  built  of  carefully  cut  stones,  and  shows  courses 
of  brickwork,  the  other  is  less  regular,  and  from  it  here 
and  there  marble  pillars  project  like  cannon.  These 
are  the  towers  of  Anemas  and  Isaac  Angelus,  and  a 
counterfort,  corresponding  in  structure  to  that  of  the 
twin  towers,  juts  out  in  front  of  them  amid  the  long 
grass  and  tangled  undergrowth. 

Isaac  Angelus  and  his  pathetic  history  are  already 
known  to  us.  Anemas  gave  his  name  to  the  second 
tower  because  he  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  prisoner 
confined  within  these  gloomy  walls.  He  was  the 
descendant  of  a  Saracen  Emir,  who  defended  Crete 
against  Nicephorus  Phocas,  and  was  taken  prisoner. 
Treated  with  unusual  leniency  for  those  times,  he  was 
granted  large  estates  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
capital.  His  son,  Anemas,  was  converted  to  Chris- 
tianity, and  distinguished  himself  in  the  campaign 
of  John  Zimisces  against  the  Russians,  to  fall  in  a 
personal  encounter  with  Swiatoslav,  the  Russian  king. 

But  Michael  Anemas,  a  scion  of  this  family,  was 
drawn  into  a  conspiracy  against  the  Emperor  Alexius 
Comnenus,  and  imprisoned  in  this  tower.  Anne 
Comnenus  the   historian,    and    her    mother,    induced 

245 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

Alexius  to  remit  the  sentence  which  condemned 
Michael  Anemas  and  his  brother  to  loss  of  eyesight, 
and  after  some  years  they  regained  their  liberty. 

A  formidable  dungeon,  this  Tower  of  Anemas, 
with  its  narrow,  vaulted  cells  of  enormous  strength  and 
its  narrower  passages.  Others  whom  we  know  lan- 
guished here  in  chains,  among  these  the  Emperor 
Andronicus  Comnenus,  who  left  this  prison  to  die  at 
the  hands  of  his  infuriated  subjects. 

Another  whom  we  have  met,  Andronicus,  the  son 
of  John  VI  Palaeologus,  was  confined  here  by  his 
father.  He  effected  his  escape,  and  in  turn  imprisoned 
his  father  and  his  brothers  Manuel  and  Theodore. 
Perhaps  the  best  that  can  be  said  of  this  rebellious 
son  is  that  he  did  not  act  on  the  advice  of  Bajazet 
and  put  his  prisoners  to  death. 

A  gloomy  history  this  strong  Tower  of  Anemas 
tells  us.  A  tale  of  civil  war,  of  tyranny,  of  deadly  family 
feuds  and  the  endless  misery  of  human  weakness  when 
it  is  invested  with  some  transient  semblance  of  external 
power. 

In  strong  contrast  stands  out  that  more  rugged 
Tower  of  Isaac  Angelus.  Here  it  is  said  the  Varan- 
gians, Caesar's  bodyguard,  had  their  head-quarters, 
and  through  all  the  gloom  that  envelopes  the  history 
of  the  later  Greek  empire,  the  conduct  of  those  troops 

246 


c^.'fV/o'i' 


The  Walls  of  ^ 

Alexius    to    remit    the    sentence   wi' 
Michael  Aik 


udemneci 
■ight. 
berty. 

o(  Anemas, 
strength  and 


iimperor 
as,  who  lelt  this  pns 
abjects. 

.  the  son 

.a   vi   rai«£oiogu'  ;iiU;a    acre  bv 

"''       ffected  hiscLcape,  and  in  turn  imprisoaea 

^^-      T^,;,«.>o  A.^  To      'y-^         M\nj.;el  and    Theodore. 
loWERs  OF  Isaac  Angelus  and  Anemas. 

A   gloomy   history  this  strong  Tower  of  Anemas  tells   us. 
In  strong  contrast  stands  out  that  more   rugged  Tower  of-^'^"^^^ 
Isaac  Angelus.  [,->    -.yicMiSL'  . 


T< 

and  through  Ai  the 
of  the  later  ( 


nds  out  that  more  rii^  ., 
Here  it  is  said  the  Varan- 
d   their   h- 

i  envelopes  the  history 
ipire,  the  conduct  of  those  troop 
246 


iV 


^ 


From  Gate  of  Edirne  to  Golden  Horn 

shines  like  a  beacon  light ;  the  race  these  men  sprang 
from  was  in  its  infancy,  and  they  brought  to  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Eastern  Emperor  the  unspoilt  faith  and 
valour  of  a  youthful  nation. 

The  origin  of  the  first  Varangians  is  obscure ;  the 
name  is  derived  from  a  Teutonic  source,  fortganger, 
forthgoers,  men  who  had  left  their  country  in  quest  of 
adventure.  There  is  reason  to  suppose  that  the  first 
Varangians  to  take  service  with  the  Eastern  Caesar 
were  of  that  Norman  race  who,  so  long  hidden  in  the 
darkness  of  their  northern  home,  suddenly  burst  forth 
upon  the  world  as  pirates.  Their  sharp-prowed  ships 
first  scoured  the  Baltic  Sea,  and  landed  these  adven- 
turous spirits  on  the  shores  inhabited  by  Fennic  and 
Slavonic  races.  Their  arms  and  discipline  commanded 
respect,  and  by  helping  these  Slavs  against  their 
enemies  inland,  the  Varangians  obtained  the  mastery 
over  a  weaker  race,  and  gave  it  a  succession  of  strong 
rulers.  These  in  their  turn  adapted  themselves  to 
their  changed  circumstances,  and  finally  a  Scandi- 
navian chief,  Rurik,  established  a  dynasty  that  ruled 
over  the  northern  Slavs  for  many  centuries.  His  de- 
scendants in  time  became  one  with  their  subjects  and 
sought  to  check  the  recurring  inroads  of  fresh  Varan- 
gians. The  sword  of  these  Corsairs  had  raised 
Vladimir  to  the  throne ;  the  riches  he  had  to  offer  in 

247 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

return  for  their  services  proved  insufficient,  so  they 
accepted  his  advice  and  sailed  back  the  way  they  came. 
They  sallied  forth  out  into  the  North  Sea,  and  made 
their  way  to  warmer  climates.  After  many  encounters 
with  the  Moors  and  others  who  followed  the  profitable 
calling  of  piracy,  they  found  their  way  to  the  city  of 
Byzas  and  took  service  with  the  emperors  of  the  East. 
In  time  the  fame  of  this  warrior's  Eldorado  reached 
other  northern  countries,  and  they  too  sent  recruits  to 
fill  the  gaps  that  constant  warfare  had  torn  in  the  ranks 
of  the  Eastern  Empire^s  vanguard,  the  Varangians. 
So  from  England,  so  little  known  to  the  Eastern  con- 
temporaries of  William  the  Norman  that  it  was  held 
to  be  the  mythical  island  of  Thule,  came  strong- 
limbed  Saxons  driven  from  their  homes.  Danes,  too, 
were  found  amongst  this  trusted  body,  and  their 
weighty  battle-axes  and  stout  hearts  defended  the 
declining  Roman  Empire  until  its  death  agony  on  that 
fateful  29th  of  May,  1453.  The  shadows  of  night 
are  closing  upon  us,  and  here  and  there  a  light 
shines  out  through  latticed  windows  as  we  turn  in 
towards  the  town.  The  day's  work  is  done,  and  here 
and  there  a  figure  moves  silently  along  to  disappear 
down  some  dark  alley.  The  narrow  streets  are  almost 
deserted.  This  is  the  quarter  of  the  Phanar  that  we 
are  now  approaching.      In  former  days  a  lighthouse 

248 


-^^: 


From 


«»  .     X-S  %.!  »  V.i 


_  ^    .j^_.    residence, 

ourtiers  or  high  officers  of  State  lived  here, 

e^   win^^nw  ooenirii^s   and  grim-visag-rd 

Wf  h  ■  ^  ?rst3?t  1ea-v*e 

-   for  ^ 

re  of  the 
A'ty  us 

Old  House  in  the  Phanar.  '^    ^mpS 

Here  and  there  we  may  see  an  old  house  whose  stout  walls 
have  resisted  all  attempts  at  destruction. 

19,  back  to  those  cour 

ixv^vtence  to  the   walls 


after 


naJjB  li. 


From  Gate  of  Edirne  to  Golden  Horn 

stood  some  way  further  on  and  guided  the  ships  that 
had  found  their  way  into  the  Golden  Horn  after 
sunset.  Here  and  there  we  may  see  an  old  house 
whose  stout  walls  have  resisted  all  attempts  at  destruc- 
tion, perhaps  dating  back  to  those  days  when  the  now 
ruined  palace  of  Blachernse  was  a  royal  residence. 
Perhaps  courtiers  or  high  officers  of  State  lived  here, 
but  the  barred  window  openings  and  grim-visaged 
walls  will  not  reveal  their  secrets. 

We  have  come  to  our  journey  s  end  and  must  leave 
these  lonely  quarters  for  those  haunts  frequented  by 
foreigners.  So  we  will  walk  down  to  the  shore  of  the 
Golden  Horn.  A  caique  is  in  readiness  to  carry  us 
onward  to  the  bridge  of  Galata.  Beyond  it  ships 
ride  at  anchor  in  the  stream,  or  are  moored  along- 
side the  deserted  quays.  One  or  other  of  those 
ships  will  carry  our  travellers  back  into  the  western 
seas,  back  to  those  countries  which  owe  their  political 
existence  to  the  walls  that  still  encircle  the  City  of 
Constantine.  The  city  looms  black  against  the  clear 
sky  of  a  southern  night,  and  the  crescent  moon  draws 
pale  glints  of  light  from  the  pinnacles  of  slender 
minarets.  Stamboul  is  wrapt  in  darkness.  On  our 
left  the  lights  of  Galata  and  Pera  shine  out,  where 
the  Western  races  take  their  pleasure  after  the  day's 
work. 

249 


The  Walls  of  Constantinople 

Behind  us,  by  those  frowning  walls,  a  slight  sound 
is  borne  upon  the  night  wind.  Its  voice  whispers 
through  the  branches  of  the  many  cypress-trees.  It 
calls  in  gentle,  insistent  tones,  and  thousands  answer 
by  obeying  it.  They  come  from  out  the  shadows  of 
the  broken  walls,  they  move  silently  among  the 
tumbled  tombstones.  Silently  they  mount  the  ram- 
parts and  gaze  with  serene,  far-seeing  eyes,  out  over 
the  sleeping  city.  Greeks  of  all  ages,  Turks  who  fell 
before  them,  fearless  Franks,  brave  Normans,  and 
stout-hearted  Saxons,  hold  their  nocturnal  watch. 

"The  Oracle  spoke  true — the  City  prospers," 
whispers  Byzas  the  founder.     *'  It  is  well !  " 

*'  The  descendants  of  the  people  that  I  loved  are 
happy  and  at  peace,"  comes  from  John  Comnenus. 
**  It  is  well !  " 

**  The  Crescent  shines  upon  the  capital  of  a  strong 
Empire — the  sons  of  Othman  rule  wisely,"  murmurs 
the  Conqueror  Mahomed.     "  It  is  well !  " 

The  Frank  looks  back  upon  the  part  he  played 
in  the  history  of  this  sleeping  city.  His  deeds  were 
not  done  in  vain.     ''  It  is  well." 

A  silent  group  looks  out  over  the  city.  Britons 
who  followed  as  captives  in  the  train  of  Theodosius, 
Normans  who  had  camped  outside  the  city  walls 
under  the  banner  of  the  Cross,   Saxons  and   Danes 

250 


From  Gate  of  Edirn6  to  Golden  Horn 

who  had  met  them  in  the  field  and  on  the  ramparts 
with  their  battle-axes.  They  have  followed  with  eager 
eyes  the  history  of  those  that  came  after  them.  They 
saw  the  red  cross  of  St.  George  s  ensign  float  above 
the  first  ships  that  Queen  Elizabeth  had  sent  here. 
They  saw  that  flag  extended  to  denote  the  union  of 
races  that  make  up  their  nation,  and  watched  it  sail 
away  up  the  narrow  channel  of  the  Bosphorus  to  the 
Crimea.  These  shades  of  departed  Varangians,  who 
fought  till  their  last  breath  for  an  expiring  cause,  for 
an  Empire  whose  sons  had  lost  the  art  of  war,  have 
watched  the  rise  of  yet  another  Empire  in  the  West 
in  that  dear  land  they  sailed  from.  They  have 
followed  closely  the  history  of  that  Empire,  and  a 
sigh  goes  from  them,  "Is  it  well  ? " 


251 


ENVOI 

Gentle  travellers !  our  journey  is  at  an  end,  and 
nothing  remains  to  Author  and  Artist  but  the  pleasant 
recollection  of  your  company  and  the  kindly  interest 
you  were  pleased  to  show. 

The  sun  has  risen  upon  another  day,  but  that  is  no 
reason  why  the  doings  of  a  previous  one  should  be 
forgotten.  The  ships  that  bear  our  travellers  to  sea, 
or  maybe  the  train  on  the  Roumelian  Railway,  will 
soon  break  up  a  very  pleasant  party.  So  before  we 
go  let  us  ask  you  to  retain  a  kindly  memory  of  this 
journey,  and  of  the  city  walls  that  suggested  it.  We 
ask  it  for  a  particular  reason.  A  rumour  is  afloat,  and 
has  not  as  yet  been  contradicted,  that  these  old  walls 
are  doomed,  behind  whose  sheltering  care  Europe  and 
the  different  nations  to  which  you  belong  worked  out 
their  destiny.  But  for  these  walls  what  might  the 
state  of  Europe  be  to-day.'*  Wave  after  wave  of 
Asiatic  aggression  here  spent  its  fury,  until  in  time 
the  nation  that  grew  up  within  them  lost  the  power 
of  defence,  and  accordingly  ceased  to  be. 

252 


Envoi 

But  these  walls  still  stand,  if  only  as  relics  of  an 
historic  and  romantic  past.  And  they  are  doomed. 
Already  the  pick  is  at  work  upon  the  Theodosian 
walls,  near  the  Palace  of  the  Porphyrogenitus.  The 
object  is  to  sell  the  material  in  order  to  provide  the 
army  of  the  new  Turkish  Empire  with  means  of 
defence  and  offence.  But  these  walls  have  served 
their  purpose,  their  stones  have  now  no  value  but 
that  to  which  their  history  entitles  them. 

Fellow-travellers — it  may  not  be  too  late,  it  may 
yet  be  possible  to  save  these  landmarks  that  have  led 
us  through  the  maze  of  history  and  Romance  to  the 
present  day,  where  with  the  best  intentions  a 
vigorous  young  government  intends  to  inaugurate  a 
new  era  by  an  act  of  vandalism. 

The  power  of  public  opinion  is  great.  Author  and 
Artist  suggest  it  as  a  means  of  saving  the  walls  of  an 
Imperial  city  to  their  friends  and  fellow-travellers — 
and  so  Farewell ! 


253 


APPENDIX 

CHRONOLOGICAL   TABLE 

[AUTHOR'S   NOTE.] 

In  this  table  are  set  forth  only  the  dates  of  events 
recorded  while  glancing  at  the  history  of  the  **  Walls  of 
Constantinople."  As  the  book  does  not  profess  to  be 
an  exhaustive  history  of  Constantinople,  but  rather  a 
reflection  of  the  historic  happenings  these  Walls  have 
witnessed — so  this  table  aspires  to  do  no  more  than 
guide  the  reader  through  past  ages  with  here  and 
there  a  date  as  milestone. 

B.C. 

658.  Byzas  founded  the  city. 

479.  Pausanias  defeated  the  Persians  at  Plataea. 

450  (about).  Xenophon  born. 

A.D. 

306-337.       Constantine    I,   the  Great,   to  whom  the 

city  owes  its  present  name. 
364-378.       Valens,  whose  aqueduct  still  stands. 

255 


Appendix 

378-395.  Theodosius  I,  the  Great,  who  divided 
the  Roman  Empire  between  his  sons 
Arcadius  and  Honorius. 

395-408.  Arcadius,  in  whose  reign  the  Goths  laid 
waste  Greece. 

404.  Eudoxia,  wife  of  Arcadius,  died. 

408-450.  Theodosius  II,  in  whose  reign  the  Theo- 
dosian  walls  were  built.  The  Greeks 
fought  with  success  against  Persians 
and  Varani.  Attila  appeared  before 
the  walls  of  Constantinople  and  forced 
the  Emperor  to  pay  him  tribute. 

457-474.       Leo  I. 

518-527.       Justin. 

527-565.       Justinian  I,  the  Great.    Theodora,  his  wife. 

545.  Bertezena  established  Empire  of  Turks  in 

Tartary. 

558.  Turkish  Embassy  to  Justinian. 

610-641.  Heraclius  (who  executed  Phocas  and  suc- 
ceeded him). 

622.  Heraclius    distinguished    himself    in    the 

Persian  War. 

626.  Unsuccessful  attempt  of  the  Avari  on  Con- 

stantinople. 

631-641.  Arabs  conquered  Phoenicia,  Euphrates 
countries,  Judaea,  Syria,  and  all  Egypt. 
256 


Appendix 


642. 
650. 

653. 

668. 
669. 

685-695. 
695-697. 

697-7o5< 
705-711, 

711-713 

717-740. 

740-775' 


779-197- 
797-802. 

802-811. 


811-813. 
813-820. 

820-829. 


R 


Constans  obtains  the  throne. 

Constans     murders     his     brother    Theo- 

doslus. 
Arabs  conquered  part  of  Africa,  Cyprus 

and  Rhodes. 
Constans  died  at  Syracuse. 
Arabs  attacked  Constantinople. 
Justinian  II. 
Leontius. 

Tiberius  (Apsimar). 
Justinian  II  (restored  by  Bulgarians). 
Phillipicus  (Bardanes). 
Leo  III  (the  Isaurian). 
Constantine  V  (Copronymus)  wrested  part 

of  Syria  and  Armenia  from  the  Arabs ; 

overcame  the  Bulgarians. 
Constantine  VI. 
Irene. 
Nicephorus  I  forced  to  pay  tribute  to  the 

Arabs ;    fell   in   the   war    against    the 

Bulgarians. 
Michael  I  (Rhangabe). 
Leo  V  (the  Armenian). 
Michael  II   (put  Leo  V  to  death,  826). 

Under  his  reign  the  Arabs  conquered 

Sicily  and  Crete. 
257 


Appendix 

842-867.  Michael  III  (confined  his  mother  Theo- 
dora in  a  convent)  ;  he  left  the 
government  in  the  hands  of  his  uncle 
Bordas,  and  was  killed  by 

867-886.       Basil  I  (the  Macedonian). 

886-912.       Leo  VI  (the  Wise). 

^'2-958.  Constantine  Porphyrogenitus  (his  mother 
Zoe). 

919.  Romanus  Lecapenus  obliged  him  to  share 

the  throne. 

944.  Constantine     and     Stephanus,     sons    of 

Romanus  I. 

958-963.       Romanus  II. 

963.  Nicephorus    II    (Phocas)    put    to    death 

970.  by  John  Zimisces,  who  carried  on  an 

unsuccessful  war  against  the  Russians. 

963-1025.  Basil  II  (Bulgaroktonos)  vanquished  the 
Bulgarians. 

1025.  Romanus   III    married   Zoe  and  became 

Emperor  ;  she  had  him  executed,  and 
raised 

1034.  Michael  IV  to  the  Throne. 

1 04 1.  Michael  V. 

1042.  Constantine  X. 
1042.  Zoe  and  Theodora. 

1 056- 1 05 7.  Michael  VI,  dethroned  by 

258 


Appendix 


1057-1059.   Isaac  Comnenus,  who  became  a  monk. 

1059-1067.  Constantlne  XI  (Ducas),  who  fought  suc- 
cessfully against  the  Uzes ;  Eudocia, 
his  wife,  entrusted  with  the  administra- 
tion 

1067-1078.   Married  Romanus  IV. 

1081-1118.  Alexius  (Comnenus);  Crusades  com- 
menced in  his  reign. 

1118-1143.  John  II  (Comnenus). 

1143-1180.  Manuel  I  (Comnenus). 

1180-1183.  Alexius  II  (Comnenus),  dethroned  by 
Andronicus. 

1183-1185.  Andronicus  I,  dethroned  by  his  guardian, 

1 1 85-1 195.  Isaac  Angelus  ;  in  turn  dethroned  by  his 
brother, 

1 195-1203.  Alexius  III. 

1 203-1 204.  Alexius  IV  and  his  father  Isaac  restored 
by  Crusaders. 

1204.  Alexius  V  (Ducas)   put    Alexius    IV   to 

death.     Isaac  died  at  the  same  time. 

1 204.  The  Latins  conquer  the  city. 

1 204-1 260.  Latin  Emperors  (Baldwin  I  died  in 
captivity  in  Bulgaria). 

1 204-1 260.  Nicsean  Emperors  (they  reigned  at  Nicaea 
as  Constantinople  was  in  the  hands  of 
the  Latins). 
R  2  259 


Appendix 

1 260-1 282.  Michael  VIII  (Palaeologus)  on  restoration 
of  the  Greek  Empire. 

1 282-1328.  Andronicus  II,  who  denounced  connection 
with  the  Latin  Church,  which  Michael 
VIII  had  restored. 

1288.  Ertoghrul  succeeded  by  Othman. 

1 341-139 1.  John  VI  (Palaeologus). 

1 342-1 355.  John  V  (Cantacuzene). 

1 36 1.  Sultan  Amurath  took  Adrianople. 

1 376- 1 379.  Andronicus  IV  (Palaeologus)  usurped  the 
throne. 

1391-1425.  Manuel  II. 

1396.  Bajazet  besieged  Constantinople,  and  de- 

feated  an   army   of  Western  warriors 
under  Sigismund  near  Nicopolis. 

1402.  Tamerlane's    invasion    of    Turkish    pro- 

vinces     in     Asia      saved      Constanti- 
nople. 

1425-1448.  John  VII  (Palaeologus). 

1 444.  Amurath  1 1  extorted  tribute  from  John  V 1 1 

145 1.  and  died  at  Adrianople. 

1448-1453.  Constantine  XII  (Palaeologus). 

1451-1453.   Siege  of  Constantinople. 

1451-1481.  Mahomed  the  Conqueror  of  Constanti- 
nople. 

1 481-15 1 2.   Bajazet  II  resigned  in  favour  of 

260 


Appendix 

15 1 2-1 520.  Sellm  I,  who  murdered  his  brothers, 
proclaimed  himself  champion  of  Ortho- 
doxy and  became  the  first  Caliph. 

1520-1566.  Solyman  I,  the  Great,  contemporary  of 
Francis  I  of  France,  Charles  V, 
German  Emperor. 

1526.  Campaigns  against  the  Western  nations; 

Hungarians  beaten  at  Mohacz. 

1529.  Buda-Pesth  taken;  siege  of  Vienna. 

1537.  Barbarossa,  Solyman's  admiral,  conquered 

combined  fleet  of  Emperor,   Pope  and 
Venetians  off  Prevesa. 

1553.  Mustapha,  son  of  Solyman,   executed   in 

presence  and    by  order  of  his  father, 
through  Roxalana's  instigation. 

1 566-1 574.  Selim  II.  ^ 

1 574-1604.   Mahomed    III;    first    English    Embassy 
sent  to  the  Porte. 

161 7.  Achmet  I  sends  Embassy  to  France. 

1618.  Mustapha  I  reigned  six  months  and  was 

deposed. 
1644.  Sir  Thomas  Bendish,  English  Ambassador 

in  reign  of  Ibrahim,  obtained  justice  by 

means  of  a  drastic  measure. 
1683.  Sultan    Mahomed    IV;    siege   of  Vienna 

raised  by  Sobieski. 
261 


Appendix 

1702.  Turkey    admitted     into     the     European 

system. 

1707.  Achmet  III  allied   himself  with  Charles 

XII  of  Sweden. 

1 769-1 774.  Panslavism. 

1 774-1 792.  Mustapha  III.  War  with  Catherine  of 
Russia.  Suvarrov  defeated  the  Turks 
— Azov,  Trebizona,  Silistria  and  Shumea 
taken  by  Russia.  The  Crimea  taken 
by  Prince  Potemkin. 

1 792-1 8 1 5.  Turkey  involved  in  Napoleonic  wars. 

1 81 5-1840.  Greek  rebellion.  Battle  of  Navarino. 
Czar  Nicholas  waged  war  with  Turkey, 
Kars  and  the  Dobrutsha  taken. 

1854-1856.  Crimean  War. 

1879.  Russo-Turkish  War. 

1909.  Abdul  Hamid  deposed  and  constitutional 

Government  introduced. 


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